Category Archives: Parenting Tips

NEW TEEN CRAZE: Cinnamon Challenge Poses Bodily Harm

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This is NOT a joke.

This is NOT a joke.

I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the teens are doing stupid stuff again. And I am compelled once again to bring it to your attention. I know, I know, when AREN’T adolescents doing moronic things with their BFFs, but that is beside the point. We all did our share – it’s part of our development and our right as citizens of this planet. But information/education can save lives and that is my job as a computerized nurse.

“Cinnamon challenges” have been on the news recently (and all over YouTube) warning parents about the dangers this youthful game can present on their health. You might have laughed it off or thought, “Boy, glad my kid isn’t that stupid!”

But I’m here to tell you, the Governor of Illinois was caught on YouTube choking down cinnamon because he thought this “game” wasn’t that dangerous. People are not aware of the severe lasting effects of this challenge.

This popular challenge is when persons eat a large spoonful of ground cinnamon. The spice itself is not toxic, but the problem arises when the person ingesting the powdered spice starts to laugh, choke or cough and the particles go down their airways instead of their esophagus to their stomach. Cinnamon dust particles in the lungs are dangerous.

According to the New York Times, “A report published in the journal Pediatrics on Monday found that the stunt has led to a growing number of calls to poison control centers and visits to emergency rooms. Some teenagers have suffered collapsed lungs and ended up on ventilators.” Large quantities adhered to the lungs when inhaled, causes inflammation and scarring of the lungs resembling emphysema.

For the full New York Times report by Anahad O’Connor, click here: Consequences of the ‘Cinnamon Challenge’

Even if you think your child wouldn’t do something this ridiculous, just trust me and bring it up casually at dinner. See if they have heard of someone doing this challenge and check if they think it’s funny. NOW you will have your educating moment.

Good luck and let me know how your talk went. I’d love to hear back from you all, to hear how kids are responding to this around the country. ~ Stacey

This one is really extreme and she is choking. Her “friend” the cameraman laughs through the entire thing. Don’t let this be your child. THIS MIGHT BE DISTURBING FOR SOME VIEWERS

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Edward Scissorhands cuts my hair and it’s all Good!!

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So for those of you who are new to my stories, Jeiney is my BFF. (That’s not really her name, but I’m old and I never can remember who tells me what so I have put all my besties names into one to form this name for story purposes…it serves us all better!)

Three days ago, I got my haircut by a man who Jeiney recommended. Now Jeiney is VERY particular about who cuts her hair (as she should be because she is a STUNNAH, and would like to keep it that way), so this new hair stylist was coming highly recommended.

As promised, I mentioned on Facebook I would tell you about this hairdresser. He is a slight man. I could bench press him if I were into that sort of thing and he has very long pretty fingers finished with beautifully manicured long fingernails. Coming from a Theatre background and love artsy/creative people I was drawn to him and was sure Jeiney had found a keeper! But get this…he used the LONGEST pair of haircutting scissors I have EVAH seen outside of the Edward Scissorhands movie. Really. He wasn’t using blades and they weren’t attached to his fingers and they weren’t IN PLACE of his fingers, but they were some long skinny scissor and they moved very fast and precisely. I was mesmerized.

Plus, he had these great stories about his life (which I won’t share) because I am no fool and do not want this gem to drop me from his clientele list! By the end of the appointment, and with the beautiful hair cut he produced, I just wanted to feed him cake.

Edward Scissorhands

So immediately after the artistry took place, I knocked on Jeiney’s back door and we screamed about how great the haircut was, yada, yada, yada… then she insisted on giving me some hair product lessons. Yes, this gurl knows her some products!! Never to disappoint in the product department!!

So we set up the toddler with the “PBS babysitter,” a new hollow chocolate bunny and start my lesson on how to style my new do. I’m sure it wasn’t that long we were not paying attention to the toddler, but let’s just say the bunny was nearly ingested with the exception of what was smeared ALL OVER HER ENTIRE FACE, HANDS AND TORSO!!!

Easter+Bunny+Humour+-+My+butt+hurts

We of course being the fun moms we were started laughing and directing the child to the kitchen where we noticed it. YES, IT!! Duh, duh, dunnah…. (that was me singing)

The senile dog (for those of you tenderhearted dog lovers, insert an “Ahhhh” here) had decided to land a humongous turd the size of a small toddler in the doorway to the room. I apologize for not stopping my laughter to take a photo and picmonkey it up for you all.

Jeiney exclaimed, “WELCOME TO MY WORLD!” And Boy, I knew what she meant. I had been there. I understood. We all do! So we picked up the chocolate covered child, closed the door to the room of stench and waltzed into the kitchen to have coffee.

Some days it’s just best to leave your stress behind and enjoy the present moment with friends!

(We did clean the chocolate off the kid. But I left before the poop was removed from her hardwoods being the sensitive friend that I am!)

Hair first thang in the morning, not so pretty...

Hair first thang in the morning, not so pretty…

Do you have a person who you wouldn’t trade for the world? I want to hear about your secret beauty loves!!

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Kids Sharing a Room Invites Fight Club?

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Playroom

When we moved into our new house, there were two bedrooms perfect for each one of our girls. Our girls who are one year apart. One might think that separating them and giving each of them their own space would be ideal, but obviously this is just a knee-jerk thought. Not one that I had spent weeks months, perhaps years plotting and planning.

My girls were going to…

**cue the dramatic hamster

(introduced to me my new bloggie crush, Rach Riot)

DUH, DUH, DUN-NAHHHHHHH!!!


GIFSoup


SHARE A ROOM!!!

Ice hockey face off.

Yes, you might think why would you do this? Do you want more fighting? Hair pulling? Children waking up the other in the middle of the night? NO! Are you high? Why would I want that! I have my plan. Part forcing them to work out their problems together, part learning to share, part helping them feel safe in the middle of the dark night AND…

THE PLAYROOM! Ah, yes the playroom. I painted it pink before we moved in (a prerequisite for them to even move to the new house. I think it was in the contract.) and made sure it had a door that would fully close.

This brilliant idea (and I still claim it is brilliant) has saved me many a headache. I don’t have to yell at them to clean up their toys every night. Only the day before the vacuum is to enter the picture, do I tell them if it is on the floor, it will get sucked up. For some reason, they are quite good at picking that crap up. Only ONCE did they not do it and I have 4 boxes of tiny, headless Polly Pockets and Disney parts in the basement awaiting their demise.

I don’t like to clean, nor do my children. But we know that it has to happen. When the vacuum is a’comin’ you better put it into overdrive! Otherwise please close that door to the playroom on your way out and don’t forget to turn off that light. I’m not paying to light up the whole neighborhood!

How do you get your kids to clean up their crappola? Every day? Once a quarter? Talk amongst yourselves…discuss!

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