Tri-Cities MOM | April/May 2020

real local moms

since 2005

Tri-Cities | April / May 2020

COVER MOM

DESIGNING A

BANANA RECIPES

MEISKE MILLWARD

NURSERY

GO BANANAS

With every swipe of your Local Heroes debit card, Gesa will make a donation to the Local Heroes Fund at Gesa. The money raised will be used to fund grants for teacher’s groups, fire departments, police departments, and veteran’s organizations, or those that support them, throughout Washington.

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GOOD THRU

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GESA MEMBER DEBIT

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SUPPORTING OUR

SUPPORTIN

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Insured by NCUA

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GO OD TH RU

DE BI T

D EB IT

EDITOR'S NOTE

Because I said so!

Published by GO Creative, LLC 263 29th Avenue SW Albany, OR 97322

‘til we meet again

Editor-in-Chief Managing Director Angela Hibbard Tri-Cities Business Development Manager Kim Harvey kim@mommag.com 509-460-6526 Contact Kim today to advertise

S

aying goodbye is never easy, which is why this Because I said so! has been so difficult to write—it is my last. After seven years as Editor-in-Chief of MOM Magazine, it’s time for me to leave the nest and move on to a new opportunity.

Mid-Valley & Lane County Business Development Manager Linda Blair linda@mommag.com, 541-231-7250 Salem Advertising Representative Kim Leighty kim.leighty@mommag.com 503-510-9036 Designer Sean Carver MOM MagazineTM is produced by GO Creative, LLC. © 2020 All rights reserved. Any reproduction, in whole or part, without written permission of the publisher, is prohibited.

Information in the magazine is provided for general information purposes only with the understanding that none of the content constitutes professional advice.

Opinions expressed by the writers or advertisers are not necessarily the opinions of the magazine or the publisher. Inclusion in the magazine does not constitute endorsement of information, products or services.

“How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard. ” A.A. Milne (Winnie-the-Pooh)

It has truly been a privilege to tell the stories of so many amazing local moms. I’ve learned from each one of our Cover MOMs and all of our readers and partners. You’d think I’d have this motherhood thing figured out by now since I’ve had the benefit of so much MOM wisdom, but I don’t. I’m failing and learning and growing every day. When I stumble, I need to remind myself of some of the advice shared in this column over the years. So I leave you with a collection of my favorites from Because I said so!

The laundry can wait.

Your presence is present enough.

Don’t compare.

You are the perfect mother for your child.

Breathe.

Perfect parenting is poor preparation for the real world.

Love is spelled T.I.M.E. Put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others.

Remember these words of wisdom the next time you need a little mom inspiration.

Why? Because I said so!

Angela Hibbard MOM Magazine Editor-in-Chief

mommag.com 3

4 mommag.com

It’s what‘s

inside that counts

GO Ba

-na -nas!

Nursery Design 26

21

Planning for your child's Future...................... 7 Making plans for college education costs.

Buckle Up..........................30

Tasty treats using bananas.

Stay current on car seat

Designing a Nursery...............................26

Cover MOM: Meiske Millward .............10

Create a nurturing space that

This mom gets real

intact.

guidelines.

leaves your wallet and sanity

Blog: mommag.com

Facebook: facebook.com/ lovemommag Email: info@mommag.com We love hearing from you. Email us with feedback, story ideas or nominations.

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30

Go Bananas.......................21

More ways to love your MOM

Cover MOM

Buckle Up

Photos by It's a Keeper

Advertise today

Photography

Want to get the word out about your business?

Contact Kim Harvey at kim@mommag.com.

CONGRATULATIONS to Heads Up Tri-Cities, winner of the 2020 MOM Magazine Community Impact Award.

For more information about Heads Up Tri-Cities check out their ad on page 6.

HEADS

Go Bananas

mommag.com 5

[ Momism #64:

Wash your hands.

A nonprofit organization supporting mental health services in our community

Contact us.

509.497.7175 HeadsUpTricities.org HeadsUpTricities@gmail.com

6 mommag.com

Support services include fund development, collaboration, and partnerships.

]

Planning for your child’s future.

$ $

$ $

Meanwhile, the student loan crisis is getting out of hand. The average total student loan debt per person is $31,172, saddling college graduates with an average monthly payment of nearly $400. With statistics like these it's no wonder why many grads are putting off major life milestones such as buying a house or starting a family. There just isn’t enough money to go around.

With $1.6 trillion in student debt in the U.S. already, how can you keep your child from being part of the statistics?

With $1.6 trillion in student debt in the U.S. already, how can you keep your child from being part of the statistics? Hopefully they are lucky or gifted enough to earn scholarships and/or grants. Loans and savings are also valuable tools your family can use to fund your child’s education. You may have to use one or all avenues to help cover the total cost. However, a dollar saved

$

I

T IS HARD ENOUGH TO DO so in the here and now, but worrying about the future can almost feel like too much to ponder. With your focus on “What to have for dinner tonight” it leaves little room for “Where will we get the money to send our child to college?” But, before you know it, this future concern will be knocking on your front door.

$$

$$

As a parent, you know the two major priorities for your child are to protect and provide for them.

$

$ $$

$$

$

$ $ now is one less dollar that may have to be borrowed in the future.

Preparing for the costs of higher education for your child can be daunting, but you don’t have to face it alone. Grandparents, aunts, uncles and even friends helping to boost your savings account can be a tremendous help. Many families are asking for monetary donations instead of toys or gifts for holidays and celebrations. The phrase “It takes a village” has never been truer than when preparing for your child’s future education.

Did you know your child is six times more likely to attend college if they know they have a savings account in their name? One great way to save for their future education is with WA529 college savings plans. With WA529, your family can choose between the Guaranteed Education Tuition Program (GET), and the DreamAhead College Investment Plan. As 529 plans, all earnings and withdrawals from GET and DreamAhead are tax-free when used for qualified higher education expenses. Your student can use them Washington to attend colleges,College universities and Savings Plans technical schools in the country, can helpanywhere you start saving toward and even abroad.aIf brighter you would like to learn future. more about Washington College Savings Enroll now Plans visit www.wastate529.wa.gov. GET enrollment closes May 31st while DreamAhead enrollment is open year round.

Dream big.

Plan ahead.

The bad

$1.6 trillion

$31,172

Toal student loan debt in the U.S.

Average total student loan debt per person.

Monthly payment of the average student loan debt.

The good Asking relatives for monetary donations instead of gifts for holidays and celebrations can be a huge help.

Tax-free

6x Kids are six times more likey to attend college if they have a savings account in their name.

All earnings and withdraws from a 529 plan are tax-free when used for a qualified higher education.

Brought to you by:

Learn more at wastate529.wa.gov GET and DreamAhead are qualified tuition programs sponsored and distributed by the State of Washington. The Committee on Advanced Tuition Payment and College Savings administers and the Washington Student Achievement Council supports the plans. DreamAhead investment returns

mommag.com 7

[ Momism #79: Cough

8 mommag.com

into your elbow.

]

[ Momism #93: One

day you'll thank me.

]

YOUR DREAM IS OUT THERE. MAKE IT A REALITY. Top-ranked degrees

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Taniah Johnson B.S. in Human Development and Family Sciences U.S. Air Force Okinawa, Japan

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MEISKE MILLWARD Cover MOM, Meiske Millward, shares about life with her perfectly imperfect blended family‌ Photo credit: It's a Keeper Photography

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The Millward family: Husband, Gary Millward and children: Ava, age 11 and Kyle, age 8 and stepchildren: Gabe, age 13 and Kaden, age 10.

Who is MOM? Community/hometown: Richland, WA. Profession: Registered nurse, hospice clinical supervisor at Chaplaincy Hospice Care.

Family comes first.

All families are unique. Tell us about yours. I like to refer to our family as a “perfectly imperfect blended family.” Our story is long and complicated, filled with mistakes and regrets, but also filled with love and laughter—lots of laughter! My husband and I knew each other in high school but were never more than friends. After school we went our separate ways. After failed marriages and a few kids later, we were both single parents. I had given a dating website a try and failed miserably (boy the stories I could tell!). I was resigned to living out my days single and as a strong, independent woman who didn’t need a man. Gary and I re-connected on social media and started texting every day. It was refreshing. There were no games, no

expectations, just an old friend who made me laugh and made the effort to text me good morning and good night every single day. He made me smile. I felt comfortable with him, like being at home. For the first time in both of our lives we chose to be with someone, not out of circumstance, not out of expectation, but because we made each other’s lives better. I had a decision to make. I chose to leave the comfortable single life I had created for myself and my two children and combine our families, the catch being the fact that we were about to blend two families with four children and four other co-parents. My two children have two different fathers and Gary’s two children have two different mothers. This was the best decision I have ever made, but it was also the hardest thing I have ever done.

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Q&A Being a stepmom sucks sometimes. It’s hard, much harder than I ever expected. I have done some hard things: graduated nursing school, worked as an ICU nurse and a hospice nurse, managed people and been a single mom, but the hardest thing I have ever done is be a stepmom—hands down.

I’m not saying it’s all bad. It is so rewarding, and I would not give it up for anything, but that doesn’t change the fact that it is just plain hard sometimes. You love these children. You want them to feel happy and loved. You treat them like your own. But, at the end of the day, they are not your biological children. You have no claim to them. You are constantly reminded that they do not belong to you. You get very little recognition for the sacrifices you make for them on a daily basis. You are expected to treat them like your own children without reciprocation. You walk the fine line of fostering a bond with this child yet knowing your place and the boundaries you must not cross. I love my children and I love my step children, but if I could get one thing across to all you other stepmoms it would be that it’s okay to struggle, it’s okay to hate your role sometimes, it’s okay to wish things were different, it’s okay to just do the best you can and give the most you are able to give today and rest your head tonight

12 mommag.com

knowing that it was enough. You can only give so much of yourself and your heart.

You are enough.

Co-parenting also sucks sometimes. We have four co-parents in our lives and our relationships vary from an ex-husband and his wife who we have an amazing coparenting relationship with and have so much love and respect for, to difficult co-parenting relationships, to completely non-existent co-parents. It completely breaks your heart to have absent parents in your child’s lives, but you constantly remind yourself that sometimes an absent parent is better than the alternative.

Gabe is my oldest stepson and is 13. He loves video games, technology and reading books.

He is so smart and has overcome so many obstacles from the day he was born. Ava is my oldest and is 11. She loves anything purple, annoying my husband, and Tik Tok (I’m still not sure what that is). She is the most compassionate child I have ever known and has made leaps and bounds in her education. Kaden is my youngest stepson and is 10. He loves basketball and wearing shorts in the winter. He is always the first one to jump up and help when needed. Kyle is my youngest and is 8. He loves Pokémon and has about 1,258 stuffed animals. He is a mama’s boy and gives me

cuddles and kisses when I need them most.

Gary works for Inline Computer and Communications. He makes life so much better. He knows how to make me giggle, he brings me tacos when I’m sad or on special occasions like Fridays. He cooks because I hate to cook. He goes grocery shopping when my anxiety gets the best of me. He may leave his empty energy drink cans all over the living room and he may put his dirty laundry on the floor right next to the hamper, but he makes me happy and I choose to be with him every day. That’s what it takes to live the crazy, beautiful life we live. We choose to be together. We choose every day to make our home a place of love and learning. Some days it’s a house of yelling with the occasional swear word and some days it’s a house of chaos and circus monkeys, but we will continue to try our best to make our perfectly imperfect blended family the best we can! And we wouldn’t have it any other way.

What’s one thing your family loves doing together? Playing games, movie nights with popcorn, family vacations and fishing (I am very proud of the fact that I taught my husband how to fly fish). We have a really cool tradition we try to do at the dinner table each night. It started one evening when I was sick of hearing about Minecraft and Fortnight so I asked the kids to take turns telling us three things: something you learned today, something you had fun doing today, and something you are thankful for today. They loved it and now request to go around the table and say our “three things” almost every evening.

What do you wish for your children?

I just want all four of them to know how much they are loved. I want them to know that it’s okay to make mistakes as long as you get back up and make it right. I want them to be successful in life and learn to be self-sufficient. And I want them to know that I may have worked a lot, I may have spent too much time on Facebook, but they always came first.

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MOM’s

Favorite… …inspirational quotes: “Behind every great kid is a mom who’s pretty sure she’s screwing it up.”

“You are enough.”

“What if I fall? Oh, but my darling, what if you fly?”

“Life will test you but remember this, when you walk up a mountain your legs get stronger.”

Quick

questions for MOM 14 mommag.com

Coffee Morning Fly Gold Dog English Hot

Sweet Kisses Early Summer Ice Cream

No one works harder than mom.

Being a mother is a full-time job.

Tell us about your additional work or volunteerism outside of the home. I am a registered nurse and I work full time as a hospice clinical supervisor. I love my job and feel honored to work with such an amazing team. I also have an Etsy shop, Wild Heart Spa, where I make and sell all natural bath and body products (body butter, bath salts, sugar scrubs, soap, room spray, etc.) and hemp jewelry.

recommend counseling even if everything seems okay in your life. Don’t wait until things aren’t okay to seek help. My husband and I go to the temple on a regular basis and it really centers us and reminds us what’s important in life.

What is the best way that you let off steam?

Venting to my husband is sometimes effective.

Going for a drive. Taking a bath with candles, bath salts, and listening to “Zen” music.

Listen to mom.

What surprised you the most about motherhood? How little sleep I would get.

Who and what has influenced the mother you are today? My parents who taught me so much and are the best examples to me of unconditional love. My father taught me how to be kind and patient—although I’m still

What have you learned professionally, that has helped you as a mom? I have learned how to stay organized, manage people and, most importantly, that life is fragile.

Do you have a goal you’d like to accomplish within the next five years? Start the process to foster medically fragile or terminally ill children. I also have a goal to go back to Africa on a medical volunteer trip.

If mom’s not happy, nobody’s happy.

What are three words your best friend would use to describe you?

Ambitious, creative and caring.

What are three words your kids would use to describe you?

Cool, loving and funny.

What’s your superpower?

Multi-tasking.

What keeps you sane? I make it a priority to take a day off and get a massage once a month. Counseling has also been incredibly helpful. My husband and I go regularly to help maintain a strong marriage, friendship and open communication.

We also went to counseling before we got married knowing that blending our family would be challenging at times. I highly mommag.com 15

working on the patient part—and my mother taught me how to stay organized, multitask and manage finances. My grandparents also played a significant role in the person I am today. I often tell my daughter something that my grandma used to tell me, “Remember to always stay as beautiful on the inside as you are on the outside.” My grandpa taught me how to fly fish and this is now a family tradition I hold dear.

What’s the best advice you have received from another mom? It’s okay to not be perfect. None of us are.

What advice would you give your younger mom self—what do you wish you knew then that you know now?

Don’t sweat the small stuff. Let things go that don’t affect the big scheme of things.

Worry and stress doesn’t change the outcome. Let yourself be happy.

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Q&

A

What is Hospice?

H

ospice is a patient-centered, family-oriented approach to care for anyone in the advanced stages of a life-limiting illness. This includes illnesses such as: Alzheimer’s disease, dementia, heart disease, liver disease, and cancer. By combining careful pain and symptom management with emotional and spiritual support, hospice enables patients to live out the remainder of their lives in comfort and dignity, surrounded by those they love.

For families, hospice provides guidance, support and peace of mind 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Since 1982, the experienced team from Chaplaincy Hospice Care add guidance, comfort and quality to each day.

• Doctors, nurses, home health aides and others help meet patient and family needs.

“Don’t sweat the small stuff. Let things go that don’t affect the big scheme of things. Worry and stress doesn’t change the outcome. Let yourself be happy.”

• Prescriptions, equipment and supplies related to the hospice plan of care are covered in full.

• Social workers and chaplains offer emotional and spiritual support to the whole family.

Where do patients receive care?

Chaplaincy Hospice Care provides expert medical care, as well as emotional and spiritual support, wherever the patient calls home, which may be their own home, a skilled nursing facility, adult family home or assisted living facility.

The Hospice House is a General In-Patient (GIP) care facility specifically geared toward caring for patients when their symptoms need professional management in an in-patient setting.

When to call.

Hospice works best for patients who begin receiving care and support as early as possible. The best way to get started is to call Chaplaincy Hospice Care directly at (509) 783-7416 to discuss your exact needs and explore options.

mommag.com 17

IT’S TIME FOR SOMETHING NEW. JointheCancerCrushing ChallengeinSpring2020

In Spring 2020, the Tri-Cities Cancer Center Foundation will be kicking off an exciting new event through the streets of Richland: the Cancer Crushing Challenge!

The cost to register is $35 for adults (18+) and $25 for kids. Corporate team registrations (3 to 5 people) are $500.

The Cancer Crushing Challenge is a 10K, 5K road race and a 1-mile fun run/ walk to raise awareness and dollars to support cancer care in our region. The road race replaces our annual Run for Ribbons event and is open to individuals and corporate teams who would like to participate in an exciting new corporate challenge.

To register as an individual or as a team, please visit tccancer.org or call (509) 737-3413.

Course sponsors, to date, include Apollo Mechanical Contractors, Fast Signs, Kadlec, Babcock Services Inc., and Conover Insurance.

Finisher shirt sponsors, to date, include Home Builders Association (HBA) of Tri-Cities, HPM Corporation, Inline Computer & Communications, and Northwest Capital Management.

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u o y e v Ha ith

w d a re l d to day ?

a c hi

Reading just 20 minutes a day with a child deepens their cognition, increases their vocabulary, produces higher test scores, and exposes a child to 1.8 million words per year.

Have you read with a child for 20 minutes today? mommag.com 19

A Dream Family Getaway WITH A DASH OF MEXICAN CULTURE

Ixtapa Pacific, Mexico

Cancún Yucatán, Mexico

Club Med Cancún Yucatán and Club Med Ixtapa Pacific are designed for the perfect family getaway.

Enjoy an extensive array of water and land sports, top-ranked Children’s Clubs ranging from 4 months to 17 years, and an authentic Mexican dining experience. At Club Med, families will disconnect from the world and reconnect with each other.

Check-in to the time of your lives and check-out with memories that last a lifetime.

Contact Vacation MOM Donnita Bassinger at (541) 913-5272 to plan your Club Med vacation.

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1/10/20 4:31 PM

GO B a GO B a -na

-n-a na -n-ass! !

There seems to be no middle ground with bananas. They either disappear within 24 hours of purchase and you find yourself saying, “Didn’t I just buy bananas?” or they hang around for days, uneaten, turning brown and attracting fruit flies. When you find yourself in the latter situation, put those over-ripe bananas to good use with these tasty treats. mommag.com 21 21 mommag.com

Go Bananas

Try peanut butter syrup on these hot cakes. +

You can double, triple or even quadruple the recipe depending on how many hungry mouths you are feeding.

Banana pancakes More than a Jack Johnson song, making banana pancakes is a tasty way to use up ripe bananas.

INGREDIENTS:

3 bananas

1 cup skim milk 1 cup white sugar ½ cup natural creamy peanut butter

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ teaspoon vanilla DIRECTIONS:

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INGREDIENTS:

3 tablespoons flour ½ teaspoon cinnamon

Ba -na -nas!

Peanut butter breakfast syrup

Combine ingredients and stir until you have a slightly lumpy batter. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium heat. Pour or scoop batter onto griddle using approximately ¼ cup for each pancake. Cook until the pancakes are golden brown on both sides. Serve hot. Save any leftovers for snacks or tomorrow’s breakfast.

DIRECTIONS:

Stir milk, sugar, and peanut butter together in a saucepan over medium heat; bring to a boil while whisking constantly. Cook at a boil for 3 minutes, remove from heat, and stir vanilla extract into the syrup.

Source: Allrecipes.com recipe by Tara Lofley

Why did the banana go out with the prune?

Why did the banana go to see the doctor?

Because he couldn’t find a date.

The banana was not peeling very well.

INGREDIENTS:

2 to 3 very ripe bananas, peeled (about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 cups mashed) 1/3 cup melted butter, unsalted or salted 1 teaspoon baking soda 3/4 cup sugar (1/2 cup if you would like it less sweet, 1 cup if more sweet) 1 large egg, beaten 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 11/2 cups of all-purpose flour pinch of salt DIRECTIONS:

Banana bread Every house should have a good banana bread recipe. If yours doesn’t, here it is. This is one of the most popular recipes on simplyrecipe.com and there’s no wondering why. It’s so easy and uses just one mixing bowl, so clean up is quick. You can also easily adapt it by tossing in a small handful of nuts, dried fruit, chocolate morsels, or other treats.

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C), and butter a 4x8-inch loaf pan. In a mixing bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until completely smooth, then stir in the melted butter. Mix in the baking soda and salt. Stir in sugar, beaten egg and vanilla extract, then mix in the flour. Pour batter into your prepared loaf pan and bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour, or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in the pan for a few minutes.

Then remove the banana bread from the pan and let cool completely before serving.

This recipe also makes great muffins, just reduce the cooking time to 25 to 30 minutes.

Banana benefits

This tropical fruit is more than just an easy lunchbox treat.

Bananas are well-known for their high potassium levels which helps prevent high blood pressure.

Bananas also contain vitamin C, which has been shown to help prevent cancer and B6, an immune-system booster that can help in the formation of red blood cells.

Banana-sicles Bonus tip

Try adding a variety of nuts on top for sources of omega-6, omega-3, fiber and protein

Everything is more fun when frozen.

Peel your ripe bananas and cut them in half (across the middle), then insert a wooden ice cream stick into the flat end, place on wax paper and put in the freezer for three to four hours.

Once frozen, quickly dip your frozen bananas in 6 ounces of melted chocolate morsels. Then top with your favorite treat like chopped nuts, candy sprinkles or shredded coconut.

Re-freeze until chocolate hardens.

Why were the apple and orange alone?

Because the banana split! mommag.com 23

Breakfast banana oatmeal treats MAKES 16 SMALL COOKIES.

These treats are great for breakfast-on-the-go, lunchbox snacks or a quick nibble en route to sports practice.

And since they don’t involve using a mixer or blender, it’s easy to get your little ones involved. All you really need are the ripe bananas and oatmeal—you can adjust or omit the other ingredients, depending on your taste.

INGREDIENTS:

2 large overripe bananas 1 cup quick oats 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 3/4 teaspoon sugar 1/4 teaspoon butter 1/4 cup chopped walnuts 1/4 cup raisins or dried cranberries pinch of salt DIRECTIONS:

Smoothie boost It almost goes without saying that adding a ripe or frozen banana to your favorite smoothie recipe adds a boost of vitamins, potassium and fiber and uses up some of those brown bananas!

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter or oil to grease two cookie sheets. Mash bananas with oats, cinnamon, sugar, salt and butter. Mix in walnuts and raisins (or dried cranberries). Drop a tablespoon of banana-oatmeal mixture onto a greased cookie sheet, then flatten with the back of a spoon, or skip flattening if you prefer softer cookies. Bake for 35 minutes, then flip cookies and bake an additional 5-10 minutes depending on preference. Cool cookies and enjoy.

Recipe source: bionicbites.com

Frozen banana soft serve dessert Before you toss your brown bananas into the freezer, peel them and cut them into chunks. Then when your kids need a sweet treat, put the frozen banana chunks (equivalent of 3 to 4 bananas) into a blender or food processor and blend until creamy. Once desired creaminess is reached, mix things up by pulsing in some treats. Here are a few of

24 24mommag.com mommag.com

Pitted cherries

Fresh berries

Cocoa powder

Honey

Dark chocolate chips

Chocolate sauce

Mint chocolate chips

Nuts

Peanut butter

Coconut milk

try a melted white chocolate drizzle to turn these into healthy dessert snacks

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3

Designing a nursery Designing a nursery can be overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. We love these tips for creating a nurturing space that will grow with your child and leave your wallet and sanity intact.

26 mommag.com

2

1: The basics

1

Nurseries only need to support the baby’s basic activities in order to thrive. So, what do babies do? New babies eat, sleep and play. Does your baby need a mommy daybed adorned with pillows, a long chaise lounge and a television? No. Buckets of love, a crib or bassinet, a chair for nursing and a comfortable surface for play are all your baby needs for a good growing start.

2: Safety Safety has to be the first priority when designing a space for your baby. For example, choose cordless window treatments, a new or properly retrofitted used crib, no/low VOC paint and forego crib bumpers at certain ages or altogether. If it is not safe, don’t let yourself love it and put it in the room.

3: That special chair A chair is used for nursing, bonding, rocking, relaxing, singing, reading and, sometimes, sleeping. So many precious moments will take place in

4

this chair, so find a good one, new or used! Traditional gliders are often resold after mom and baby outgrow them, while an upholstered chair with rocking feet can be used in another room in the house.

4: Changing station It’s entirely possible, and some argue

safer, to change diapers with just a pad on the floor. If considering a table or dresser, new or used, choose a pad that can be securely attached for safety. Dressers, rather than changing tables, allow for easy access to diapers, supplies and baby clothes and can also be used during toddlerhood and beyond.

5: Lights out Even the tiniest sliver of light can wake some babies, especially if you have a summer-born, light-sleeping baby. A dark room will add to your baby’s sleeping success rate. There are many cordless blackout shade options in various lengths that can be cut to size. Or simply buy blackout material and “hook and loop” tape it to the surrounding millwork.

5

mommag.com 27

Check out these tips for creating a room with personality without breaking the bank. They just make sense (cents)!

A non-themed room transitions more affordably, and can be accomplished gradually avoiding future expenses when interests change or your baby grows an opinion.

When buying more expensive or custom items choose colors and patterns that transition over time. For example, gender-neutral colors and age-transitional patterns: geometrics and stripes over baby-specific scenes; greens over pinks; multi-color fabrics; furniture in white or wood tone over bright painted colors.

Bring in color with smaller, budget-friendly items: storage baskets, sheets, throws, wall art and other decorative top notes. Books and toys are the most practical ways to style kid’s rooms; select your favorites and put them front and center!

Decorate with affordable art. Search “printable nursery art” online then repurpose old thrift store frames and buy a custom colored mat at your local frame shop.

Select paint last. If you want to get the color right, wait until you know the design direction of the room. You can create any color in the world after you have a reference point such as a color pulled from fabric or a rug.

Kari Delavenne is a mother of two and Interior Designer. For more of Kari’s design ideas visit www.delavennedesign.com Article adapted from A room to grow, MOM Magazine April/May 2016

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[ Momism #63:

I'm going to count to three.

]

GIVING BLOOD IS GIVING LIFE. SCHEDULE YOUR DONATION TODAY. Bloodworksnw.org (800) 398-7888 Download the App

@BloodworkNW

W Name one baby item new moms don’t need.

e asked moms to weigh in on the most unnecessary baby item. We heard from hundreds of you and the overwhelming answer was: Wipe warmers!

Most moms just don’t need them.

Some other honorable mentions include bottle warmers, diaper genies, changing tables and—our staff favorite—unsolicited advice from others! @lovemommag

of here!

Get out don't need st Moms ju pe warmers. you, wi mommag.com 29

BUCKLE UP! Car seat guidelines and laws are confusing. Vehicle and car seat technology can be even more so.

Here is a quick summary of some of the most important—yet not always wellunderstood—recommendations on child passenger safety: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends keeping children rear-facing as long as possible, so long as they fit in the weight and height requirements of the seats. Most convertible car seats—seats that can rear or forward-face—will accommodate kids rear-facing until they weigh 40 pounds.

The next big—and often confusing—step is transitioning kids from a five-point harness, forward-facing car seat into a booster seat. This can happen after age four as long as they are over 40 pounds. I always

advocate that parents keep their kids in a car seat as long as they fit, because a five-point harness is much safer than a three-point seatbelt in a belt-positioning booster seat.

If your child is not ready, stay with the booster. Passing these tests can keep your child much safer in the event of a collision.

Finally, kids should stay in the back seat until they are 13.

The final step in the car seat transition is moving from a booster seat to a seat belt only. This may happen when a child is anywhere between eight and 12 years of age; they should be about 4’ 9” before this transition occurs. They should be able to pass several tests before they use the seat without the booster:

Motor vehicle collisions are the No. 1 cause of death and significant injury in kids under the age of 19. There’s a lot we can do to protect our kids so they are safe while riding in a car. Following car seat and seat belt laws and guidelines really does save lives!

The child needs to be able to sit up straight with knees hanging comfortably over the edge of the seat, feet on the ground, and with the seat belt in the correct position with the shoulder belt over the middle of the chest—not near the neck.

The lap belt should be over the upper thighs and hips, not the abdomen.

Angela Zallen, MD is a pediatric hospitalist and a certified child passenger safety technician. She’s also the co-chair of SafeKids West Oregon. She lives in Oregon with her husband, a pediatric surgeon, and their two children, two dogs and 10 chickens.

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GESA Credit Union

Dream big. Plan ahead.

With Washington College Savings Plans, you can start planning, save for college, and invest for a brighter future.

Enroll in GET by May 31 DreamAhead open all year

Learn more at wastate529.wa.gov GET and DreamAhead are qualified tuition programs sponsored and distributed by the State of Washington. The Committee on Advanced Tuition Payment and College Savings administers and the Washington Student Achievement Council supports the plans. DreamAhead investment returns are not guaranteed and you could lose money by investing in the plan. If in-state tuition decreases in the future, GET tuition units may lose value.

mommag.com 31

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www.mommag.com | info@mommag.com The views, information and content in this magazine are not that of the organization that may have provided MOM Magazine to readers as a courtesy.

MOM Magazine and its distributors assume no liability for the contents or events arising out of its distribution.

shop. eat. spend. support.

LOCAL

In a time of need, every local purchase you make, makes a big difference. Here are just a few ways you can show your support for our community.

shop spend

eat support

Shop local whenever possible. Every little bit helps, especially as online suppliers are called on to service the rest of the country.

Order take-out from your favorite local restaurants and take advantage of curbside delivery. Use drive through windows if possible.

Support your favorite local businesses by purchasing gift cards to spend later.

Instead of requesting refunds on event tickets, consider donating those funds back to the businesses that sold the tickets.

Consider the needs of others when you’re making purchases. With many people experiencing changes to their income and with more time at home than expected, consider checking in on neighbors and the elderly more often.

For more information, visit www.richlandbusiness.com