Pot practical

If you are growing your garden on a patio or large balcony, almost any type of container that will fit in your space can be used — oak barrels, plastic tubs, pots, metal drums or wooden boxes for your ground crops. Hanging baskets, trellises and railings also offer support for vine produce, like tomatoes and beans. If you have a toddler, take into account whether or not he can reach the containers you choose. A windowsill garden may be your best option.

Kid-friendly gardening projects >>

Water frequently

Water is essential to any type of garden, but especially so with container gardens where root systems are restricted and crops are exposed to full sun. However, be cautious not to drown your precious produce. "Most container gardening suffers from over-watering," advises Shelley Sparks, landscape architect, Harmony Gardens. "If you don't have a water meter, use your finger to test the soil. If the soil is moist finger level down, don't water."

Go for a no-dig garden

Layering compost in a container garden is an organic option for growing your own produce without a yard. According to no-dig-vegetablegarden.com, lay down newspaper topped with layers of hay and fertilizer, ending with a layer of compost and topped with mulch to slow down water evaporation. Simply stick to the same rules for containing, watering and fertilizing your fruits and vegetables for a no-soil option for gardening. It's also an opportunity to teach your kids about composting.

Mom's guide to gardening with toddlers and preschoolers >>

Don't worry if you haven't mastered the art of growing your own garden in the past. You may find that growing a garden without a yard is more fruitful. "You can have even more success gardening in pots than planting in the ground because they are mobile and let you rotate orientation and location," suggests gardening enthusiast and writer Carol Gilbert, carolgilbert.biz.

"Make it easy on yourself by planting in fairly large pots with saucers and placing them on rolling dollies." That way, produce such as cabbage and beets that do fine with light shade can be accommodated as easily as fruit-bearing plants, like tomatoes and green beans which require six to eight hours of direct sunlight each day.

The best part about container gardens? Learning how to grow your own produce will also add eco-friendly décor to your patio, balcony or windowsill while you and your family enjoy the fruits of your labor!

More about gardening with kids

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Gardening with your kids: Planting the seed
How to create a winter garden with kids

More apps for kids and parents

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Q-tip skeletons

What you'll need:

Instructions:

1. Use your black marker to draw a skeleton face on the white paper.
2. Cut out the skeleton face and glue it to the black construction paper.
3. Glue the Q-tips to the black construction paper to make the bones. Use your scissors to cut the Q-tips to make shorter segments .

Glass jar jack-o'-lanterns

What you'll need:

Instructions:

1. Remove the label from your empty jar and thoroughly clean and dry it.
2. Cut out shapes from your masking tape to make the eyes, nose and mouth.
3. Stick the masking tape shapes onto the glass.
4. Paint over the masking tape with the orange paint, then allow the paint to dry.
5. Remove the masking tape, then light a candle inside the jar.

Paper cup ghosts

What you'll need:

Instructions:

1. Turn a white cup upside down and draw a face on it.
2. Cut streamers to 6-inch lengths and tape them to the inside of the cup.
3. Use your scissors to cut a small slit in the bottom of the cup.
4. Thread some string through the slit in the cup and tie a knot so that it will stay in place.
5. Use the string to hang the ghost in a doorway or from the ceiling.

More fun family crafts

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Halloween craft: Spooky centerpiece
Flying bats Halloween craft

Camila Alves and Matthew McConaughey

Camila Alves showed off her baby bump in a gorgeous teal maxi dress with a side split as she attended the Andy Roddick Foundation Gala with her husband Matthew McConaughey.

Matthew, on the other hand, looks emaciated as he has reportedly lost 30 pounds to play an HIV sufferer in a new film called The Dallas Buyer's Club.

“It’s a bit of a spiritual cleanse, mental cleanse,” he told Larry King about his weight loss, “ drinking a lot of tea.”

"I should not look healthy by the time I'm doing this," he said.

Alves, however, is positively glowing as the couple is expecting their third child. They are already parents to 4-year-old Levi and 2-year-old Vida.

Next up: Shakira debuts her baby bump!

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Shakira

Shakira posted this fuzzy picture on her Facebook page with the caption, “Now I don’t have a six pack, only one pack!!”

Stand back and squint your eyes and you can see the 34-year-old Columbian singer in a belted purple dress cupping her baby bump. She and her boyfriend, soccer player Gerard Pique, are expecting their first baby together.

The singer also recently confirmed she knows the sex of the baby.

“It’s gonna be a boy,” she said. “This guy [Pique] is the best thing that ever happened to me in my whole life. And now we’re having a baby.”

We are looking forward to seeing more pics of Shakira once she is a judge on The Voice!

Next up:  Pregnant Amber Rose wears skin-tight pink dress

Photo credit: Celebrity Baby Scoop – Celebrity Mom and Baby News

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Amber Rose

Pregnant model Amber Rose showed off her baby bump in a tight pink mini-dress as she was spotted out in L.A. on Wednesday. Rose, who used to date Kanye West, is expecting her first child with her fiance Wiz Khalifa.

“I’m going all-natural,” she told XXL Magazine about her childbirth plans. “I’ve decided that I’m going to have an all-natural water birth. No medicine. I want those bragging rights.”

“The next time Wiz has a stomachache or anything, I’ll say, ‘I popped out a baby all-natural,’” she said.

Speaking of Wiz, he recently tweeted about some sacrifices he has had to make when it comes to his smoking habits.

“I Take So Many Showers A Day Cuz Amb Cant Take The Smell Of Pot While Shes Pregnant. Anything For My Baby Tho. Time To Get Washed And Go Rub Her Bacc.”

Next up: Pregnant Girls star Jemima Kirke goes topless

Photo credit: Celebrity Baby Scoop - Celebrity Mom and Baby News

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Jemima Kirke

Girls star Jemima Kirke, seen here noshing on ice cream and showing off her pregnant belly, went topless for a photoshoot for Vice magazine.

The 27-year-old, who plays Jessa on the hit HBO show, already has one daughter named Rafaella and is expecting her second with her husband Mike Mosberg.

“One of the best parts [of sudden fame] is that I can sufficiently support my kids," she told the magazine. "At my age that's pretty hard to do without struggling or taking money from my parents, and I don't have to do either. But it has taken a lot of time and energy away from my work as an artist."

She has not said if she is having a boy or a girl yet, but said she does have dating advice for her kids. “If I have a boy, I’ll probably just tell him to be nice to women. Being humble and sweet is the hardest thing you can do. Stay confident and don’t act desperate, because I guarantee whomever you’re into actually sucks way more than you think they do. There is always something they’re not telling you that will bring them down a notch in your eyes,” she says.

Read the rest of the interview and her see provocative photo spread at Vice.

Next up: Holly Madison is glowing in green

Photo credit: VICE and photographer Richard Kern

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Holly Madison

Former Playboy model Holly Madison showed off her petite baby bump at the unveiling of the James Bond tuxedo for the new Skyfall movie at the Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas on October 4.

Madison, who is pregnant with her first child, was recently given a baby shower by her Peepshow co-stars. Her last performance on the Las Vegas show will be on October 21.

Madison tweeted photos of her owl-themed baby shower, including owl-inspired cupcakes and goodie bags, as well as a photo of her in a blue dress with her friends surrounding her.

Want more pregnant celeb photos? From Megan Fox to Adele, check out more celebrity baby bumps here >>

Photos: WENN unless otherwise noted

We’ve all seen the cute bento box articles and the healthy lunchbox ideas, but how much of Mom’s hard work is really eaten? Even if your child’s lunchbox comes home empty, do you really know if they ate what you packed?

Tales of a real-life lunchroom spy

We spoke to our undercover elementary school employee about what kids are doing with their lunches.

Packing school lunches each morning might possibly be the chore that moms dislike most. Many children are very particular about what they eat, and finding the perfect contents for the lunchbox becomes a game of 20 questions. Every day, millions of moms pack what they consider to be an acceptable lunch, but do their kids eat it?

No. 1 offender

Surprisingly enough, the most often thrown-out or destroyed item in the elementary school cafeteria may be that lunchbox staple, the sandwich. “I don’t like my sandwich,” says a kindergarten girl who just started extended day and is now eating lunch at school. “The bread tastes weird and kind of cold.” Sandwiches that are made either the night before or even first thing that morning will not taste the same to your child as one made for lunch at home.

Lunchroom employees see students routinely throwing their sandwiches away, even when they are coaxed not to waste food. Students who have an aversion to crust will pull large sections off a sandwich and throw them away, leaving only about half the sandwich. Many kids also take out the meat and throw the bread away.

Cute lunchboxes for the school lunchroom >>

Bento uh-oh

Maybe you tapped into the latest craze and prepare your child an amazing assortment of tiny finger foods artfully crafted into zoo animals or spaceships, nestled in a bento box. Surely they will eat that, won’t they? A few of the carefully arranged items don’t look so appetizing by the time lunch rolls around. “This cheese is gross,” says a second-grade girl whose lunchbox houses an adorable new bento box. “My mom cuts it small but then it gets all gooey.” Her small cheese pieces have melded onto the small ham pieces, and look anything but appetizing at noon. The more complicated the lunch is, the less likely your child will finish the contents.

Ranch dressing or dip for carrot sticks seems like a great bento box thing, but they make a huge mess when kids open them. Yogurt removed from the original container and packed in a bento box rarely tastes right and is often not eaten. Even with ice packs included, the temperature of most lunchbox foods will vary and not be similar to how it tastes at home.

Check out these grown-up bento box ideas >>

And the winner is?

No surprise here — the lunchbox foods most often eaten are the individually packaged snacks like pretzels, fish crackers or cookies. Many elementary students eat these first, then feel too full for the sandwich and other items packed at home. Grapes and bananas were surprisingly popular fruits, possibly because they are easy to eat without getting too messy. Pre-packaged lunches from the grocery store are popular and seem to generate less food waste overall, since portions are smaller and tend to not be messy.

More about kids and nutrition

Teaching kids healthy portion sizes and nutrition
Enhance children's activity and nutrition
How eating organic improves your child's health

Off to a good start?

Hey, Mama! We all know that when you wake up on the wrong foot, the whole day has to struggle to improve. But why does starting the day positively matter so much? And how can it help you achieve more?

The other day, my son woke up with a series of grunts and protests — unusual for him, because he is a consummate morning person. The grunts were followed with scowls, a little stomping and a general bad attitude. He'd woken up, as they say, on the wrong side of the bed.

It would have been easy for me to get caught up on the nitty-gritty of how he was acting, but I knew it really was that he'd woken up too soon. I've been there. We all have. And it can be so hard to dig yourself out when you wake up in a bad mood. As we walked to the bus stop, I reminded him that it's his choice whether he stays in a bad mood or chooses to make it a good day.

When he boarded the bus, he sat down and looked out the window at me. Then he raised his hand and waved, turning to watch me as the bus pulled down the road and out of sight. In that moment, I knew he'd chosen positive.

Why a good start matters

Whether you are a young boy heading off to school or a mom going after her dreams, starting the day positively sets the tone for the day. Positivity sets you up for good things and opens you to potential. Furthermore, it can help you achieve more. Yes, really.

"Starting the day off with a positive attitude gives yourself psychological permission to believe that anything is possible," says April Masini, who writes AskApril. "Conversely, when you start off with a bad attitude, you conduct your behavior as if you've already lost whatever it is you're trying to win — a deadline, a relationship or just a task."

To help make your day start well, you need to figure out what helps you stay positive in the morning, says Masini. "It usually involves eating well, exercising, dressing well and being prepared for the day. It involves knowing that there will be tasks to conquer with hard work, and treats to win and enjoy throughout the day."

Can you really control it?

In short, yes.

Michele Howe Clarke, bestselling author of Face Forward: Meeting Challenges Head On in Times of Trouble, says that you have the power to start your day positively. "Tak[e] control of the first 45 minutes when your mind is still in a programmable alpha mode. The first 45 minutes program your general behavior for the rest of the day. Catch negative habits here and really impact the rest of [the] day positively," says Clarke.

You can also take advantage of this to make your day even more positive, Clarke says. "Taking time to be grateful, meditate, affirm or journal here can compound your intentions," says Clarke. "Breath practice early in your morning routine creates centered focus and expanded capacity."

Next time you're faced with a rough start to the day, choose positive. It's worth it.

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Fun pumpkin masks

I don't know about your kids, but mine go crazy for costuming and regularly dress up — my son in his old Halloween costumes and my daughter in her many princess dresses. They also love to don all sorts of capes, masks and hats. With this fun craft, you can add to that stash on the cheap — and with their help.

You need:

Directions:

1. Gently fold the orange foam sheet in half and cut a half-oval shape with an upright rectangle near the top of the fold.
2. Hold the sheet up to your child's face and gently mark approximately where the eyes should be .
3. Cut out triangles for the eyes and a triangle for the nose, using the scissors or X-ACTO knife .
4. Use the markers to decorate the pumpkin, adding shade lines and coloring in the stem, as desired.
5. Cut holes or slits in each side of the pumpkin. Thread ribbon through each side and secure.
6. Use the ribbons to tie on the mask.

Project pumpkin

Let your kids go all Project Runway on a pumpkin with this simple and easy craft.

You need:

Directions:

1. Secure one end of the wire or string to the pumpkin stem. Thread beads on, periodically looping the string around and through beads to keep them in place.
2. Wind the beads around the pumpkin and then secure about every 3 inches with tape.
3. Heat the hot glue gun. Place dabs of glue on the pumpkin, securing the ribbon as you go.

Wacky pumpkin T-shirt

Decorate a T-shirt with an adorable pumpkin perfect for the season.

You need:

Directions:

1. Cut a pumpkin shape out of the paper. Be sure not to cut the outside of the paper. Use tape to secure the homemade stencil to the shirt. Spread newspaper to cover exposed areas of the shirt.
2. Using the spray fabric paint, paint in the pumpkin area. Let dry completely.
3. Use additional fabric paint as desired, to add detail to the pumpkin. You may want to color the pumpkin stem, add some vines and leaves or even paint a jack-o'-lantern on yours.
4. Let the shirt dry for 24 hours before wearing.

More fall crafts for kids

3 Fall crafts for kids
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As the election draws near we thought it would be the perfect time to round out our favorite Democratic baby names. In case you are a little fuzzy on your U.S. history, the Democratic Party is one of the oldest political parties in the world, getting its start in the early 1790s. Andrew Jackson is considered the first president of the Democratic Party, so it is only fitting to start our baby name list with the names of U.S. presidents.

Democratic U.S. presidents

There have been fifteen Democratic presidents of the United States, with five serving two full terms and John F. Kennedy sadly being assassinated before he completed his full first term. These names are All-American and strong — and could be the perfect presidential name for your future leader.

Top baby names in “blue” states

A “blue” state refers to those states that historically are more likely to vote Democratic, while a “red” state refers to those that are more likely to vote Republican. We have rounded up some of the most popular baby names, according to the Social Security Administration, in those “blue” states.

In the blue state of Massachusetts, the top boy names are William, Benjamin, Jacob, Michael and Ryan, while the top girl names are Sophia, Olivia, Isabella, Emma and Ava. In New York, Michael is the top name followed by Jacob, Jayden, Matthew and Joseph rounding out the top five. The top girl names in New York are the same as Massachusetts, only with a slightly different order.

In Connecticut, Alexander is the top name, while Sophia again reigns supreme. What about California? Jacob and Sophia are the top names in the Golden Coast, while Michigan’s top names are Mason and Olivia.

We see a couple of new names in the top five for the blue state of Hawaii, with Noah, Mason, Elijah, Aiden and Ethan the top names for boys and Sophia, Olivia, Chloe, Emma and Isabella the top names for girls.

Unique and liberal baby names

The following baby names are unique and cool — and perfect for your left-winged baby. Even if your child ends up leaning more to the right, these names are still great names that will help your child stand out in a crowd

For those who are fans of the GOP, check out our list of Republican baby names here >>

More baby name ideas

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Hey Jude! Seriously cool Beatles baby names
Pottery Barn baby names: The new trend?

Some of the rules of childhood have been repeated so many times that even as adults, we find ourselves shaped by them.

Parenting tips you may find surprising

Teaching our children to share, take turns and play nicely seems like the best way to parent but there’s another way of thinking that may have some parents questioning their methods.

Teaching children how to get along with others would seem to be the best way to turn them into competent, well-adjusted adults. What if children actually did better in life when they were given more freedom in choosing how to react to each situation instead? Heather Shumaker is the author of It’s OK NOT to share… and Other Renegade Rules for Raising Competent and Compassionate Kids. Her ideas may seem radical, but they just may change your thinking about social learning.

Early learning is important

Learning to be social creatures begins early, and Shumaker’s book is aimed at the toddler and preschool crowd — from ages 2 to 6. The beginnings of social skills and people smarts are here, and will be carried forward through childhood and beyond.

The book is based on the philosophy and teaching methods of the School for Young Children in Columbus, Ohio that Shumaker attended as a preschool child. Children at the SYC are encouraged to get messy, climb trees, roughhouse, mediate their own conflicts, express all feelings, explore their creativity and take risks. The core philosophy is centered around child-directed, child-chosen methods of play.

How different styles of play encourage child development >>

Don’t share — really

How many times as a parent have you told your children — or others — to make sure that they share? Sharing toys because they are forced to share doesn’t teach a child how to make the determination he is “done” with something. Even when another child is waiting, learning to control and decide when a task is finished is an important skill. The child has learned to listen when his mind tells him he’s ready to move on, and the waiting child has been given the chance to learn patience.

Keep your hands to yourself — not

One of the most commonly repeated phrases you may ever hear from the parent of a young child is, “Keep your hands to yourself.” When children touch each other during play, they are learning to read cues from each other that can’t be taught. Much like the pile of puppies nipping at each other, children do learn from their physical interactions with peers. “Researchers are realizing that roughhousing builds the part of the brain that helps develop academic skills later on,” says Shumaker. There should be ground rules so that nobody is hurt, but most of the time a bit of rough play settles itself and helps young children learn to moderate their behavior.

Sometimes a kid needs to go out and get dirty >>

Free play isn’t free

While educators are pushing more and more curriculum down the pipe toward the early childhood crowd, our children are losing their ability to freely play. The art of play isn’t taught, it has to be learned through hours and hours of non-directed activity. By climbing a tree, jumping over a water puddle, playing hide and seek or simply getting dirty, our children learn self-control, confidence to try new things, trust in their decision-making skills and impulse control.

Try to incorporate more free, non-directed playtime into your week and see what a difference it can make. Sometimes as a parent, we need to change the rules to help our children learn. Which of the renegade rules might you try?

More on parenting preschoolers

Transitioning to preschool: What you should know
6 Great toys for preschool boys
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Is your child an extrovert?

Just like adults, your child will likely display both introvert and extrovert traits — dependent on the situation. However, a child whose personality leans toward extroverted might exhibit more of these qualities:

• Craves interaction
• Loves to talk — often
• Thrives on stimulation
• Seeks out social situations
• Outgoing, even assertive

Battling boredom

Because extroverts tend to crave activity, attention and engagement, they can become bored easily in the absence of people to connect with or something to really focus their energy on. With that in mind, consider activities that will help your little one thrive:

• Create and perform impromptu plays or puppet shows
• Host a living room talent show
• Play dress-up, complete with a runway fashion show
• Look into art classes, dance classes or team sports
• Find free-play activities that allow for opportunities to socialize without the restrictions of a structured class, like the park, a water fountain/splash pad at a local outdoor mall, etc.

Your little talking machine

If you parent an extrovert you’ll likely find that he needs to talk... often. Just like introverts need quiet time to absorb and take in everything around them, extroverts process by talking through what they’re thinking and experiencing. If you happen to be of the introvert persuasion and value quiet time, or find that all of the talking can sometimes wear on your patience, there are things you can do to help your child direct her inner Chatty Cathy:

• Give him a creative outlet so he can channel all that talking into fun activities. Let him record videos of himself with a video camera, or have him record audio files of himself talking, singing or story-telling into your iPhone, or even a tape recorder.
• Invite her to read out loud to her siblings.
• Create opportunities for him to share about his day, whether it’s a sit-down over a snack when you pick him up from school, or every night at the dinner table.
• Help her learn a little restraint by taking opportunities to reinforce concepts like taking turns. While she might want to blurt out her thoughts over everyone else who’s in the conversation, remind her that she’ll absolutely have her turn to speak and that she just needs to hold on to that thought until it’s her turn to share.

Encouraging your extrovert

While no child is one-size-fits-all, and no personality type suits everyone perfectly, there are a few things you can do to give your little extrovert what she craves:

• Acknowledge that she needs to talk, and understand that’s what makes her tick. Thinking aloud while she talks through things helps her comprehend concepts and problem-solve.
• Get down on his level and give him your full attention when you play: Build with him, craft with him, engage with him in a genuine give and take.
• Know that for extroverts it goes beyond just enjoying being around people — that’s what they draw their energy from. While introverts might need alone time to recharge, or feel drained after being around large crowds, extroverted children are energized by connecting with people and can get drained by feeling alone and bored.
• Don’t pigeonhole him just because he leans toward a certain personality type. While your little one might get bored faster being alone than an introvert might, it doesn't mean he's not capable of it. He won’t always have a playmate or an ear to bend, so give him opportunities to enjoy a little down time, too.

Read more on child personalities

How to temper your Type-A parenting style
Raising an independent baby
Your child's birthstone and personality

Why self-esteem is important

Girls with good self-esteem have confidence in their ability to face challenges and a belief in their own ability to achieve goals. They have strong feelings of self-worth and as they grow, they develop an ability to surround themselves with people who support and encourage them. Girls with little self-worth or issues of low self-esteem often end up developing toxic relationships throughout their lives. There are a number of ways that parents can help boost their daughters' self-esteem and nurture their confidence.

Swimming against the tide

With three young daughters of her own, Deborah Palgon knows that raising daughters isn't always easy. "One experience I remember, in particular, occurred when my oldest daughter was in kindergarten," recalls Palgon. "At the time, I was not prepared for an incident that would test my daughter's confidence in herself. As a preschooler, my daughter always liked to play with blocks, building houses and cities for her imaginary games. Every day after she came home from school I would ask her what she played that day and every day my daughter would answer, 'House.'"

"One day after her usual answer, I asked her why she didn't play any other games. At that point she admitted she didn't always feel like playing house, but none of the other girls played in the block area."

Palgon's daughter explained — and complained — that only the boys played in the block area. And it was this moment that Palgon realized she had an opportunity to encourage her daughter. "If you like building with blocks and you don't do it," her mom told her, "then, you're missing out on fun. Tell the boys you want to play, too." No kindergarten child wants to be deprived of a fun time, and that reasoning seemed to work for her.

From that point forward, Palgon's young daughter played with the boys and went on to have a more enjoyable kindergarten experience. She learned to be independent and confident, and also learned that it's sometimes difficult but necessary to swim against the tide.

Boosting her self-esteem

From kindergarten through high school and beyond, parents should take opportunities, like Palgon did, to help their daughters face challenges, overcome obstacles and pursue their goals and dreams. These simple guidelines can help parents raise confident, strong daughters.

• Tell you daughters you believe in them. Kids want reassurance and praise from their parents. Your words will encourage your daughter's performance in school and at home.
• Encourage girls to explore activities that may be traditionally reserved for boys. Be willing to cross gender lines when it comes to sports and other activities for kids.
• Praise your daughters for their ideas and skills and not simply for their appearance. Though every little girl needs to hear that she's pretty, you should praise her mind too!
• Let your daughters make mistakes and then encourage them to keep on trying. Kids don't learn and grow if they are never allowed to make their own mistakes.
• Resist providing ready answers for your daughters. This type of "help" undermines their confidence. Allow them to do a little problem solving on their own.
• Become a media critic. Don't expose your daughter to everything that's in the media. Analyze the portrayals of girls and women on television, in magazines, in books and on the internet.

Around the web

Sites for girls abound on the internet and range from playful and creative to serious and informative. Many of these empowering websites can help boost girls' self-esteem as they explore their creative side, discover their passions, connect with others and get answers to their questions.

A Girl's World
This is a clubhouse and free monthly magazine with articles that change daily as well as monthly. The site includes a secure Pen Pal Club for girls all over the world. All of the content is created by girls and reflects the editorial mission to encourage girls to become active contributors of the internet.

Chicacircle
A website for tween girls and their moms, Chicacircle encourages girls to develop their craft and visual art skills and to connect, create and collaborate with others.

Girls Inc.
A national youth organization, Girls Inc. has provided vital educational programs to millions of girls for over fifty years. Current programs address math and science education, pregnancy prevention, media literacy, adolescent health, substance abuse prevention and sport participation.

Girl Tech
This interactive site includes eight main areas: chitchat, invention, sports, tech trips, game cafe, girls views, girls' world and boutique. An interesting and informative resource for both kids and parents, this site is well worth it.

Go Girl
A playful, fun site for high school and college-age young women, this site includes contests, quizzes, fashion, fitness and some college scholarship information from major retailers.

iTwixie
This site aimed at tween girls describes itself by stating: "iTwixie challenges girls to express their unique talents, creations, natural beauty and true interests."

National Women's History Project
A nonprofit corporation, the NWHP maintains the clearinghouse for U.S. women's history. The motto for this site: "History looks different when the contributions of women are included." This is a great resource for girls and educators.

Something Fishy
This website is a comprehensive resource for a variety of information about eating disorders. There are links to organizations and eating disorder centers worldwide as well as links to other useful websites, online support, and medical and psychological information about eating disorders.

More about children and self-esteem

Top 5 ways to boost your child's self-esteem
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Anne Coulter tweets the "R" word

What grows faster than a parent's instinct to protect his son? The social media buzz that follows when he demands an apology from controversial politico Ann Coulter for tweeting the 'R' word.

special needs community reacts

On the brink of National Down Syndrome Awareness Month, politico Ann Coulter joined a list of celebrities who have used the word “retarded” as an insult, tweeting:

“Been busy, but is Obama STILL talking about that video? I had no idea how crucial the retarded vote is in this election.”

Known for abrasive tirades, this isn’t the first time Coulter has used the ‘R‘ word to make a political argument. But this time, the difference is Dan Niblock, a father in Durham, North Carolina, with a son named Ozzie who happens to have Down syndrome .

Dad demands Coulter apology

Niblock reacted to Coulter's tweet with a post to his friends. TODAY Moms then asked him to write the article that posted October 9.

“[The term ‘retard’ is] a slur that demeans a lot of people who have a hard enough time getting on with the business of life without having to deal with the constant reminder that a great swath of society thinks their existence is the world’s best punch line,” Niblock wrote for TODAY Moms.

“I want Ann Coulter to apologize for using a form of hate speech that is particularly searing to people who have special needs... This isn't about Republicans versus Democrats, it's about having class and a little decency.”

Radio silence from Coulter

While Niblock hasn’t received an apology from Coulter to date, others have stood behind him.

“The outpouring from the rest of the world has been amazing and nonstop,” Niblock told SheKnows.com. “I’m getting the most wonderful emails ever, and I’m getting the most beautiful and heartfelt comments on my personal blog.”

Julie Cevallos of the National Down Syndrome Society has a young daughter with Ds. She tells SheKnows.com, “Using the word ‘retard’ or any form of it, or any other insult directed toward the condition of Down syndrome and those that have it, is not about free speech — it’s about decency, accountability and compassion.”

Parent to Coulter: ‘What is your excuse?’

Christina DeGennaro, parent to 4-year-old Rory, who has Ds, wrote to Coulter after seeing her tweet. “…When my son was born, and I sat in the hospital staring at this beautiful gift from God, learning that he had Down syndrome, I wept,“ DeGennaro wrote to Coulter.

“I wept not because I didn't love him... because I loved him before I'd ever known him but instead I cried for all the cruel, ugliness he would face at the hands of ignorant, small-minded individuals. You, however, are educated Ms. Coulter. Therefore, what is your excuse?”

Niblock tells SheKnows.com: “Most of the problem stems from the fact that the ‘R‘ word is just a bad habit. [In most cases,] people don’t use it maliciously, they use it because they have always used it. They don’t think about it.

“I’m trying to make people think about it.”

Celeb use of the ‘R’ word

Use of the ‘R’ word by celebrities has increased so much, the organization Spread the Word to End the Word compiled a list of “cheers” for celebrities who have spoken out against use of the ‘R‘ word.

As perhaps an indicator of how few “cheers” exist, many celebrities made the “cheers” list only after using the ‘R‘ word and then apologizing for using it.

Social media fuels buzz

In today’s 24-hour news cycle, social media routinely serves to slow things down. Coulter tweeted at 8:39 p.m. on September 25, and Dan Niblock posted a note to his friends afterwards. His outrage went international when TODAY Moms posted his article October 9.

Within 24 hours, Niblock's article had more than 500 comments and more than 20,000 “likes” shared to Facebook.

Since October 9, visits to Niblock's personal blog have skyrocketed. Over two days, his blog received nearly 20,000 “pageviews” — or about the same number of visits to his blog over the previous month’s time.

Actress to Coulter: STOP!

Coulter’s tweet received the fastest celebrity response over Twitter. Actress Holly Robinson Peete, an advocate whose son has autism, replied hotly at 4:26 a.m. on September 26, “@AnnCoulter STOP using that word! It's like freaking nails on a chalkboard! #Rword.”

When famous people say ‘retard’

While some celebrities get more backlash than others for using the ‘R’ word, two factors seem to influence how long the chatter and criticism continues: A person’s level of fame, and whether he or she used the ‘R’ word themselves or while playing a character .

Of course, it helps when mainstream media pick up the story. One day after Niblock’s article posted on TODAY Moms, the Huffington Post picked it up on its Parents site.

In 2010, Jennifer Aniston jokingly referred to herself as a retard on Live! With Regis and Kelly.

Jean Winegardner, a Washington Times writer whose son has autism, wrote about the aftermath, “I think the most painful part about these incidents is not the original comment, but rather the backlash from commenters and pundits who think those of us who care about this word are being over-sensitive.”

Free speech argument

A consistent refrain each time a celebrity uses the ’R’ word is, “That’s free speech!” Niblock told SheKnows.com: “Yes, it’s free speech. But these same people don’t use the ‘N’ word, I bet. Why is that? Cultural sensitivity? Fear?

“The African-American community fought hard to take control of the labels used to describe them… and they are now offered at least some level of respect in that sense.

“Does the disabled community really have to fight that fight... just because a lot of people happen to like to say ‘retard?’”

Advice to Coulter?

“This is not a decent way to get a rise out of people and to get a laugh,” NDSS’s Cevallos tells SheKnows.com. “That laugh comes at an expense — the feelings of a person who has enough challenges and his or her friends and family.

“It would be nice if celebrities could be heroes [and] lead the way in… teaching compassion. The everyday heroes are the parents and friends who explain this to others even when it’s uncomfortable, and who show every day just how cool their child or friend is for being who they are.“

More about children with special needs

One mother’s plea to stop use of the ’R’ word
How to deal with bullying and special needs kids
Best apps for kids with special needs

by Talia Bahr Goldfarb
as told to Julie Weingarden Dubin

I never planned to be an entrepreneur. I have my masters in social work and I was happily working as a therapist with kids in the foster care system. My life took a huge turn once my son was potty trained and his pants wouldn't stay up. I couldn't find a belt that my son could actually use on his own, so my sister and I decided to fill a void in the marketplace and invented Myself Belts — the belt kids can fasten themselves. I wanted to empower my son and nurture his pride in being able to be independent in the bathroom. We figured out a simple and innovative way for our belt to fasten, filed patent protection, and in 2004, brought Myself Belts to the market. My new venture was completely initiated by my life as a mom.

The making of a startup

Myself Belts' closure is the only one-handed belt on the market and truly the easiest belt that exists. It took us a little while to figure out exactly how the belt should close. We cut up belts, tried miscellaneous materials, had a sample made in the garment district in New York City and then had my son wear it to make sure that it worked.

Not having a background in sales worked in my favor. I wasn’t intimidated approaching buyers because I didn’t realize that I should be. Since I didn’t have business experience, I made decisions based on instinct, common sense and a strong belief in our product. I cold-called department stores, sent packages to magazine editors with our products and once people heard about the benefits of Myself Belts directly from the owner, it fostered great relationship building.

It still amazes me that people buy belts that I created. It’s hard to believe what my son's sagging pants have led to. I remember the first store order that we received. I was jumping up and down in my kitchen when I heard. Another incredible moment was when I saw a picture online of Madonna holding her daughter who was wearing our Metallic Heart belt. It was surreal.

Hey, Moms: Do you know a mother with a great story? We’re looking for Mom Stories. Email Jrosewriter@gmail.com with your suggestions.

My 4th child

Myself Belts has changed my family in every way. The business is like my 4th child. It’s impossible to separate business and family when you sell online, because you never close. Luckily my family takes pride in Myself Belts — in fact, my husband, Chuck, a physician, is my biggest fan!

I do a delicate juggling act in being able to work and also be the mom who picks my kids up from school and helps them with their homework. It’s not a perfect balance, but I think that when they see me struggle, they witness me doing the best I can which is what I hope for them. I’m often struck that their childhood has had a backdrop of watching their mom build a business. I think my children see my work ethic and are learning the benefits of working hard to achieve success.

A sense of pride

I’m most proud of the fact that our invention promotes independence and has made life easier for so many. Whether Myself Belts reduces school anxiety because it’s faster to go to the bathroom at school, or whether a child with dexterity issues has an easier time getting dressed, it feels great to know we have helped others.

I think part of why our customers are so loyal is because they know our story. I respond personally to emails and talk freely with customers and press outlets. At the root of it all, I’m a mom who had a common parenting frustration and invented a solution. I always think of my customers as "me" — just a mom trying to keep her kid's pants up.

Read more stories about real moms

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Not sure what to do with the adorable artwork your child brings home in her backpack? Whether you eventually store it or toss it, consider putting together a way to temporarily display the art. Kids love sharing school art with friends and family. With a few simple steps, you can display your child’s school art at home, at the office or online.

Mix and match with curtain wire

For a modern gallery feel, install curtain wire on the wall in your home. Try easy-to-install DIGNITET curtain wire . Install one long string of wire in an eye-catching area of the home or create a larger display by stacking two or three wires for a wall of art. Curtain wire and clips allow you to change out art instantly. Try hanging a mix of school art and photographs for an ever-changing ode to your child’s creativity and development. Ask your child to help you choose what pieces to hang and when to switch them out.

Find the best products for a kids' art center >>

Learn about supplementing your child's art education >>

Display in colorful frames

Traditional picture frames give school art fun flair in your home. When choosing picture frames to display art, keep in mind that you’ll probably want to change the art a few times a year. Avoid frames that are difficult to take apart. Try mixing and matching antique frames from the thrift store and spray painting them white or in bright colors. Allow older kids to help paint the frames and offer advice when it comes to hanging them. Go simple with a few larger frames or decorate an entire wall space with lots of frames. For a different take on picture frames, remove the backing and glass and attach clips to the top of the frame for hanging art.

More family crafting

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Social media's effect on body image

You can’t escape them — teenagers taking pictures of themselves to use for their profile picture on Facebook or Twitter.

Are they going overboard in search of looking “perfect” to the outside world? Teens have always been self-conscious and focused on their appearance, but has it gone further than that now?

Every day teens are bombarded with images in the media of the perfect-looking person. Looking your best can be a great self-esteem boost, but what if your best doesn’t feel good enough? The reality of these perfect images is that they are anything but real — airbrushed, altered and enhanced. What message is this sending to our teens and how can we help them form their own healthy self-image?

Internet and self-esteem

New research points to social media as being a major contributor to negative body image and low self-esteem in adolescent girls who spend long periods of time online each day. Dr. Amy Slater from the School of Psychology at Flinders University in Australia presented her findings from the NetGirls Project at the Appearance Matters international conference this summer. Over 1,000 girls between the ages of 12 and 16 were included in the study.

“We set out to investigate the role of media in adolescent girls' self-image,” says Dr. Slater. “We were interested to find out how adolescent girls were spending their free time and how different activities related to how they felt about themselves and their bodies. Our findings demonstrate a worrying correlation between excessive media use — particularly social media and the internet — and lower self-esteem, body-esteem and sense of identity and higher depression.” They found that 40.1 percent of these girls were dissatisfied with their bodies and a staggering one in two was afraid she would gain weight.

More about young girls and healthy body image >>

Socially connected — and disconnected

The more time teens spend connecting on social media, the more disconnected they tend to be from family and real-time connections. “It's a basic human need to attach to others,” says Holly Willard, LCSW and psychotherapist in Salt Lake City, Utah who specializes in female adolescent issues. “Relationships on social media are on a surface level because people choose what they are going to represent — or rather misrepresent. This decreases vulnerability and the potential of really connecting with someone.”

Teens spend an unusual amount of time obsessing over the pictures that they post on social media sites, then take a self-esteem hit when someone makes an unkind comment. When too much energy is focused on appearances, teens have little interest in living in the moment and enjoying an activity without viewing it as something that would make a great status update or profile picture.

Does your mother influence your body image? >>

Break the cycle

Remember that your inner critic is heard loud and clear by your teen. The message you send about your own appearance — whether in person or in photos — has a lot to do with how your children form their own message. Don’t shy away from the camera and make sure you are included in family photos. Encourage silly pictures and fun photo enhancements like mustaches or special color effects. Try to take away the feeling that pictures have to portray our “perfect” self. Share stories about enhanced and altered celebrity photographs to show your teens that even the perfect people aren’t really that way.

Finding the perfect profile picture may be more about self-esteem and body image than your teen realizes. Help her see the bigger picture.

More on parenting teens

Keys to the wheels: Safe driving tips for teens
Why does your college kid act that way?
Help your teen get the most out of school

A mommy's day is chock full of errands, work, cleaning, picking up/dropping off and feeding the kids.

Mom time-management tips

If you're looking for more time in your day, consider cutting out some sneaky time-suckers from your day.

Whether it's the annoying mom "friend" who always has to one-up you or the nosy neighbor that always prods about the way you raise your kids, toxic relationships have no place in your busy world. Slowly distance yourself from people in your life who are not uplifting, positive influences. One-sided friendships and relationships that leave you feeling worn out are stealing too much of your valuable time.

Ladies, speaking from experience, surfing the web or channel surfing can suck hours out of your day. As much as I hate to say this, I encourage you to step away from the Pinterest. OK, at least limit it. Give yourself a guilty-pleasure window of 30 minutes to an hour for a juicy reality show, Pinterest inspiration or "liking" everything on Facebook. Once the time is up, stay committed to shutting it down and getting on with other important matters of the day.

Should moms be on Facebook? >>

Stressing about everything from what you're going to make for dinner to getting all the bills paid on time will leave you in a frenzied state 24/7. Constant worrying is not only futile, it's exhausting! Make a list of "concerns" and figure out a way to tackle them instead of letting them take over your mind . For bigger issues , talk to your partner to reach a no-worry solution together.

Every stay-at-home mom could use these financial tips >>

How many times have you gone from your bedroom to the kitchen, picking up toys and shoes along the way and distributing them into your kids' rooms, only to forget why you needed to go to the kitchen in the first place? Point: Clutter causes unnecessary distraction.

Being a mom does not require you to be a personal maid for your children. Yes, young kids may need some help cleaning up after themselves. However, the earlier you teach your children to tidy up, the sooner they'll get the hang of it.

If you haven't done so before now, set some simple and age-appropriate ground rules for your kids. For example, after mealtime, have your children put their dirty dishes in or next to the sink. In the morning, ask that they make their beds, brush their teeth and then get dressed before you make breakfast. At night, make sure they go potty, brush those pearlies again, get into their jammies and put their dirty clothes in the hamper before bed. Require older kids to help with specific chores around the house like raking the yard or vacuuming the carpet.

Constantly comparing yourself to other moms will simply drive you crazy, and you'll lose a good chunk of your day chasing the latest pair of jeans or the next new must-have stroller. Remember that material things don't define you. You define you. Ditch the need to compete with the women in your life and instead enjoy your individual styles and tastes.

Are you jealous of your online friends? >>

More on time management for moms

10 Sanity and time-saving tips for moms on the go
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A father's influence in his daughter's life shapes her self-esteem, self-image, confidence and opinions of men. "How Dad approaches life will serve as an example for his daughter to build off of in her own life, even if she chooses a different view of the world," says Michael Austin, associate professor of philosophy at Eastern Kentucky University and editor of Fatherhood - Philosophy for Everyone: The Dao of Daddy.

"What matters in the father-daughter relationship is that Dad seeks to live a life of integrity and honesty, avoiding hypocrisy and admitting his own shortcomings, so that she has a realistic and positive example of how to deal with the world. He should try to model a reflective approach to life's big questions so that she can seek to do the same," he adds.

A father's influence on a daughter's self-image

A dad's involvement in his daughter's life is a crucial ingredient in the development of a young woman's self-esteem. Austin identifies positive elements of "common sense" parenting for dads so they can help support their daughter's self-image and curb any possibility of low self-esteem: Verbal encouragement, being consistently present in her life, being alert and sensitive to her feelings, taking time to listen to her thoughts and taking an active interest in her hobbies. "It's important to actually do these things, which can sometimes be quite challenging," Austin adds. Direct involvement and encouragement by her father will help diminish a girl's insecurity and increase her confidence in her own abilities.

How dads influence their daughter's relationships

The type of men that women date and have long-term relationships with are also directly related to the kind of relationship a girl has with her father. Obviously, the hope is that the father figure in a girl's life will aim to skew that young lady's opinions of men in a positive way. "He must, first and foremost, treat his daughter with respect and love. Whether or not he is married to or still together with his daughter's mom, showing respect to her mother is essential as well," explains Austin. "He must also value women as human beings, and not as persons to be used. Daughters will see what their dads believe about women by how they value and respect women, or by how they fail to do so."

More on Dad

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As the election draws near we thought it was the perfect time to round up our list of Republican baby names.

In case history class is a bit fuzzy, the Republican Party was actually founded by anti-slavery activists in 1854 and Abraham Lincoln was the first Republican president. Besides this being a great question for Jeopardy, we thought it was also a good place to start when rounding up Republican baby names.

Names of Republican presidents of the U.S.

Since Abraham Lincoln took office in 1861, there have been 18 Republican presidents of the United States thus far. Perhaps one of these names is the perfect choice for your future leader of the GOP?

It remains to be seen if the current Presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, will add his name to the list of Republican presidents of the United States.

Top baby names in “red states”

A “red state” refers to those states in the United States who primarily vote for the Republican Party, while a “blue state” refers to those states that vote primarily for a Democratic Party. There is also the “swing states” where the majority doesn’t support either party.

According to Wikipedia, the following states are considered “red states” so we thought it would be fun to take a look at the top baby names in these regions:

In Utah, the top girl names are Olivia, Sophia, Emma, Lily and Abigail, while the top boy names are Mason, William, James, Jacob and Samuel. The red state of Nebraska’s top girl name is Emma, while Mason is also the top name followed by Jackson.

In Kansas, they also love the name Mason for a boy, while Sophia is tops in this Midwestern state. What about Texas? The home state of the Bush family loves the names Sophia, Isabella, Emma, Mia and Emily for girls and Jacob, Jayden, Daniel, Jose or David for boys.

Classic All-American baby names

The following All-American baby names are cool and classic and perfect for your future Republican baby! Even if your child falls a little more to the left than you do, these traditional names are great names that never go out of style.

More baby names

Top 100 baby names in the U.S.
From Noah to Naomi: Biblical baby names
Preppy baby names