Photo: www.oceanicsociety.org

Tired of the same old holiday practices and concerned about the season’s overemphasis on commercialism? Get creative and give a unique gift to your children and loved ones this year.  These holiday gift alternatives are sure to put a smile on anyones’ faces.

Adopt a dolphin

How about adopting a wildlife animal? I’ll bet your kids would love to become the proud, new adopted parents of a dolphin or an other beautiful creature in the wild.  The Oceanic Society conducts valuable scientific research on free-swimming dolphins in the Bahamas. The proceeds are used to fund essential field research equipment and protect dolphins worldwide. Another option is the World Wildlife Fund, which offers adoption programs for over 100 species worldwide. { read more }

About Lisa Gale

"She was an artist and her life was her canvas." (Kobi Yamada) When I grow up, I want to be her! For now, it's fun to pretend.

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Photo: Elements Therapeutic Massage

When Michele Merhib, founder of Elements Therapeutic Massage, first started out, getting a massage was a luxury that most people never considered. Now, as more health consumers are becoming knowledgeable about proactive wellness, they may be less likely to run for a doctor’s consultation and more likely to go for a rub. What used to be a cottage industry — a massage table in someone’s home or the back of a nail salon — has become a corporate-backed professional service available to the general public.

“Now, well-funded research studies are confirming what massage therapists have always known and seen in our clients,” Merhib says. Massage is being taken seriously, and not just for relaxation. In fact, pre-surgical massage is now offered to some patients at the venerable Mayo Clinic.

In a study published in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine in October 2010, a single, 45-minute session of Swedish Massage was found to measurably impact various endocrine levels in ways that “may have implications for managing inflammatory and autoimmune conditions.”

That’s great news for women trying to conceive or maintain a healthy pregnancy. But what if you can’t afford to pay a massage therapist? { read more }

About Tracy Morris

I wear a lot of hats while spinning plates and true stories. In between taking care of myself and my family, I write about fertility and other health care topics. Most of my online time lately is spent at two very different places: FertilityTies.com and TrailerParkKarma.com. Perspective is everything -- my pre-teen reminds me daily.

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www.raising-twins.com

Dads can sometimes feel left out when it comes to baby bonding.  I’ve heard so many men say they wish they could bond with their baby in the same way their pregnant wife or partner can.  The good news is there are quite a few ways you can get in on the baby bonding beginning in pregnancy.

Talk and sing to your baby

Amazing research has been done on daddy baby bonding.  In one study, it was shown that fetuses actually distinguish between their parents’ voices and strangers’ by the thirtieth week of pregnancy.  Moreover, male voices being generally lower in pitch than females’, they are easier for the fetus to detect.  This means that talking and singing to your baby in utero is an excellent way to begin the bonding process. { read more }

About Lisa Gale

"She was an artist and her life was her canvas." (Kobi Yamada) When I grow up, I want to be her! For now, it's fun to pretend.

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Photo: dmason, flicker

This past September, I took my two school-aged sons to the pediatrician for their routine “well-care” checkups. The doctor ordered blood tests for my boys at the end of the visit to screen them for high cholesterol. Wondering why, I asked him to explain and his response was rather shocking. The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends a series of screenings in children as young as nine due to the sharp increase in high cholesterol and heart disease in adults.

Do children have high cholesterol?

A recent article in the Wall Street Journal explained that “the biological processes that underlie heart attacks and other consequences of cardiovascular disease begin in childhood,” even though most people don’t feel the effects “of the diseases until middle age or later.” Doctors who used the long-standing rule of checking only children whose family history indicated a risk of high cholesterol may have been missing out on many others who could be at risk. ”The reason for doing it,” explained Dr. Stephen Daniels, who is chairman of the task force that wrote the new guidelines and is the chief pediatrician at Children’s Hospital Colorado in Denver, “is that targeted screening doesn’t work very well.” { read more }

About Liz Alfano

I write "Dirty Words," the blog about things you should know, but might not. I'm the mother of two elementary school-aged boys and wife of one adult aged man. When not writing, I can be found reading or staring into space wishing I was either reading or writing. Sometimes I'm seen vacuuming...but not often. www.mydirtywords.com

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Photo: Jeff Jacobson

Parental separation anxiety — the anxious feeling new parents often get at the thought of being temporarily separated from their newborn baby — manifests itself in different ways from parent to parent, and can range in severity from mere anxiety, to downright panic. For those parents experiencing severe cases of PSA, consider consulting your doctor. But for those of us who experience mild cases of PSA that result from returning to work after your baby’s birth or leaving for a few days on a business trip, read on to find out some tricks on conquering your fears.

Ease into it

Much like quitting smoking or jumping into a pool of cold water, merely the idea of doing something a bit scary all at once (cold turkey, so to speak) can cause as much anxiety as the thing itself. If you have anxiety about being separated from your baby, try to ease into it a little at a time. First try leaving the room for just a few minutes. After ensuring her safety, leave her in the crib while you make a sandwich in the kitchen or run to the curb to check the mail. Next, get your neighbor to watch her for fifteen minutes while you drive down to the corner store. Slowly work up to it and you’ll find it easier to leave for longer periods of time. { read more }

About Jeff Jacobson

Socrates understood himself to be the smartest man in Athens because he knew at least enough to know he knew nothing. That's me. I'm an inconsistently successful father, stepfather, husband, and writer. But at least I know it.

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Photo: www.mesacam.wordpress.com

The holidays feel an especially important time to develop and enjoy emotional strength. With our schedules filling tighter and the many opportunities to gather with friends and family, true emotional health can be challenging.  Rather that stuffing, ignoring or numbing our feelings, this is a great time to bring more presence to them.  Here are some practical tips and tricks to help you strengthen your emotional muscle.

The “please excuse me” trick

Chances are you will at some time find yourself in a highly charged emotional atmosphere with loved ones.  If and when this happens, notice first your breathing.  Purposefully slow it down in an attempt to keep your body relaxed.  If you find this too difficult and that you’re own energy has been drawn into heaviness or even conflict, politely excuse yourself for a few minutes.  Walk outside or at least into another room.  Attempt to gain composure before re-entering the situation.  If you simply cannot continue the discussion or interactions without feeling out-of-control emotions, request to table the discussion until another time when all parties are more clear. { read more }

About Lisa Gale

"She was an artist and her life was her canvas." (Kobi Yamada) When I grow up, I want to be her! For now, it's fun to pretend.

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Image: Ambro / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Hearing “just relax!” offered up as consolation from friends does exactly the opposite: the aggravation ramps up your blood pressure. But you also know that studies continue to highlight the relationship between our perceptions of stressful events and how our bodies function. So you try this and that and keep your eyes open for ever-better ways to enjoy life and allow it to move through you effortlessly.

So many alternatives to diminish the effects of stress, so little time! Doesn’t it sometimes seem like the best thing to do is just stop looking for answers, close your eyes, and take a nap? (Actually, that is exactly what you should do much of those times!) Wouldn’t it be great if there was someone to just tell you which stress-reduction technique you should use?

Psychologist Mark Brown, Ph.D., says that part of our stress from trying to conceive is because “having a baby is such an important completion of the biological and spiritual nature of many women.” Part of Brown’s job is teaching meditation through various modalities. { read more }

About Tracy Morris

I wear a lot of hats while spinning plates and true stories. In between taking care of myself and my family, I write about fertility and other health care topics. Most of my online time lately is spent at two very different places: FertilityTies.com and TrailerParkKarma.com. Perspective is everything -- my pre-teen reminds me daily.

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www.familyfun.go.com

This time of year, we have great reminders to be more present with the people, places and things in our lives that bless us. Thanksgiving is my favorite American holiday because of the unique opportunity to join millions of other families in the celebration of gratitude.  If you’d like to be more purposeful in your own celebration this year, here are a few ideas to share with your family.

Gratitude chain

This can be fun and deeply enriching for your whole family, even those who cannot be physically present for your celebration. Cut slips of paper and set them (along with crayons, markers and tape or glue) in a prominent place in your home.  Create a habit every day of writing down at least three things for which you are grateful.  String your gratitude links into a chain that builds in strength each day.  You can start now and practice this right into the new year.  You can even have out-of-town relatives and grandparents make their own links to mail you.

Family mandala

“Mandala” is the Sanskrit word for circle.  Mandalas represent wholeness and can be seen as a symbolic model of life itself.  Creating a family mandala can be an incredibly bonding experience.  It can enable each family member to express themselves individually within the context of the family structure.  It’s fun and can be as simple or complex as your family chooses.  For ideas and examples, check out this site. { read more }

About Lisa Gale

"She was an artist and her life was her canvas." (Kobi Yamada) When I grow up, I want to be her! For now, it's fun to pretend.

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www.oregonmod.com

Those last couple of weeks during pregnancy can stretch your patience to the outer limits.  Your well-meaning family and friends are calling more often and it seems everyone is questioning the baby’s arrival. Here’s the thing.  You do not have to merely “survive” and tolerate these last few days and weeks. You can actually cultivate a deep enjoyment of them.

Keep your body as comfortable as possible

Joints are expanding.  Breasts are enlarging.  Hormones are rushing to the scene (again!). Isn’t the human body an amazing creation?  Some of the last few weeks of bodily change may not be experienced as pleasant.  Make yourself comfortable.  Wear low heeled (not flat) shoes to alleviate back pain.  Put your feet up often.  Wear comfortable clothing.  Nurture your body’s needs and this will help your mindset. { read more }

About Lisa Gale

"She was an artist and her life was her canvas." (Kobi Yamada) When I grow up, I want to be her! For now, it's fun to pretend.

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www.brownchiro.com

If you’re considering having a baby, it’s never too early to improve your body’s fertility.  The earlier you create healthy habits, the easier your pregnancy will likely be.  Here are a few things to consider implementing into your lifestyle immediately.

A healthy diet

You are what you eat, and so is your baby.  To improve fertility, focus on eating as much raw green leafy vegetables as you can.  To your greens, add in a colorful rainbow of other vegetables and fruits.  Include healthy whole grains such as quinoa, amaranth, buckwheat, millet and basmatti or jasmine rice.  Lean proteins are also important.

Exercise

Move your body into greater fertility. This doesn’t have to be aerobic exercise, but studies show that a certain kind of strength and weight training can stimulate growth hormone. Human Growth Hormone (HGH) has the ability to help balance every other hormone in the body.  For simple tips on increasing your growth hormone naturally, see this resource. { read more }

About Lisa Gale

"She was an artist and her life was her canvas." (Kobi Yamada) When I grow up, I want to be her! For now, it's fun to pretend.

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