Ingredients:

4 chicken breast halves
2 cups long grain white rice
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 can cream of celery soup
1 packet onion soup mix
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

Spread the rice on the bottom of a greased 9X13X2 inch casserole dish. Place the chicken breast halves on top of the rice and sprinkle salt and pepper on breast halves. Mix the celery and mushroom soups together and layer on top of the chicken breasts. Then sprinkle the dry onion soup on top. Pour the chicken brothe over the entire casserole. Cover with foil and bake in a 350F degree (175C degree) oven for 1 1/2 hours.

Serves 4.

We’re dog lovers so we understand how important it is when bringing home a new baby that things go well. If you’re faced with this situation a great article to help you out is Your new “Pack Member”: Introducing Your Dog to a New Baby by Martin Guerra.

Hope you find it useful!

If you’re pregnant you’ve probably heard many times that you shouldn’t eat certain types of fish because they contain too much mercury. The fear is that mercury poisioning can affect a child’s mental development. In fact new research shows that mercury may be a leading cause of autism.

However, investigators seeking to measure the deleterious effects of prenatal mercury exposure were surprised to find that the children, years afterward, seemed perfectly normal.

They expected at the minimum to find developmental damage in the children of women who, when pregnant, ate fish with the highest mercury levels. But when they looked at the children years later there were almost no differences between kids whose moms had a lot of mercury in their bodies and those who moms had almost none.

As with all things though, moderation is still best. Mercury is certainly not good for you or your unborn child so don’t overdo it. But at least it’s good to know that occasionally eating fish is not harming your baby.

Your belly’s bulging, your feet are swollen and you have to pee every 5 minutes. Oh the things we do for our babies!

If you’re pregnant and seriously in need of some pampering, here’s four great ways to get started:

Create an at home spa – Most of us can’t afford hundreds of dollars for a day at the spa. But that doesn’t mean you can’t have all of the same benefits at home. Buy several different body treatments such as face masks, body lotions, hair treatments and foot creams and treat yourself to a few hours of uninterrupted bliss. If the man in your life is willing have him give you a back, leg or foot massage for a true spa experience.

Get a pedicure - Chances are your feet are swollen and achey. Although you may no longer be able to see them, this is the perfect time to have a pedicure and make them all pretty. You’ll feel better and they’ll look great when they’re only inches from your doctor’s face.

Practice yoga - Yoga is great for relaxing both the body and the mind. Of course you’ll want to learn how to do it safely so as not to injure yourself or your unborn child. But with a little guidance you’ll soon be feeling the relaxed and invigorated.

Rent a chick flick - Nothing takes your mind off stress like a great movie. Choose an old favorite, or try something new. Invite over a couple of gal pals and have them bring a gallon of ice cream to make it extra fun!

Parents love nothing more than to show off their kids. Pictures, videos, scrapbooks and now – websites!

The newest online gadget for tech savvy parents, they’re a quick and easy way of sharing baby with out of town family and friends. Many options are now available for free and are so simple to use that you really don’t need to be a tech geek.

One of the best services available is from Babies Online. They’re free baby web pages include storage for photos, a journal and even a guestbook feature.

So what are you waiting for? Get started now and create something truly unique to show off your little one.

This version of nachos and cheese is so delicious, even your kids won’t mind eating healthier!

Ingredients:

Triscuit crackers
Thinly sliced cheese in one inch squares (cheddar, mozzarella or monterey jack are all great options)
Salsa

Instructions:

On a cookie sheet place a single layer of Triscuits. Put a small spoonful of salsa in the center of each cracker. Top with one piece of cheese. Bake at 350F until the cheese is melted.

Serve with extra salsa, sour cream and guacamole.

Yummy!

If you have children we don’t have to tell you what a nightmare road trips can be. But don’t worry, help is on the way…

MomsMinivan.com has more than 101 ideas for fun things that kids can do in the car. Including travel tips, kids travel games and printable car games and activities.

Best of all, activities are organized by age group so you can quickly find ones that are just right for your family.

Some of our favorite ideas are:

- Travel Tickets: Use some colored construction paper to cut out some “tickets” for your trip. Give your child a pre-counted baggie full of tickets. Every half hour (or every 30 miles) they can turn in one ticket to you. When their tickets are gone, the trip has ended! This really helps young children get an idea of how much time is left on the journey.

- Mystery Writing: One child holds out his hand and closes his eyes while the other child “writes” on his hand with her finger. The first child has to guess what the second person is writing. Start with just letters, andd if it gets too easy, play with 2 or 3 letter words, pausing between letters. There’s no winner or loser with this game. It can just go on continuously!

- Aluminum Foil Modeling: Give everyone a sheet of aluminum foil. Have them mold it into anything they want: animal shapes, Frisbees, balls, jewelry, crowns, headband, necklaces. Be creative.

Checkout MomsMinivan.com for more great ideas on how to travel with kids!

One of the best sites we’ve come across in a while for kid’s birthday party ideas is Fisher Price. They have a great section that lists kids party ideas by theme. Each theme has recommendations on invitations, decorations, costumes, games, activities, food, favors and more.

Be sure to check out their Helpful Party Hints while you’re there. Some of their great tips include:

- One guest per each year of your child’s age, plus one extra guest, is a good rule of thumb. Too many guests may put the party at risk of deteriorating into an almost unmanageable gathering with a fair amount of crying.

- In general, the best times for young children are late morning (after the morning nap) or late afternoon (following the afternoon nap). To plan the birthday party when your child is most alert, pay attention to your child’s day to discover the optimum times.

- Plan to get extra help from a babysitter, grandparent, or friend-so you can participate in the party activities and share the fun with your child.

For lots more kids birthday party ideas visit the Fisher Price Birthday Party Planner website.

All babies develop at different rates. But there are certain milestones that you can – and should – track to ensure that your baby doesn’t have developmental delays. Catching problems early can be the key to correcting them before they become unmanageable.

This easy to use Growth and Development Chart, from the Pathways Awareness Foundation, gives parents a handy checklist that guides them in tracking their baby ’s development.

Print it out and keep it where you’ll see it everyday – such as on the refrigerator or above baby’s change table. Then make sure you use it.

If you think your child may have development delays early intervention can make all the difference. Call the “parent answered” toll-free number for the Pathways Awareness Foundation at 1-800-955-CHILD (2445).

Every year, thousands of children are scalded in bath water that’s too hot, according to the Shriners Hospital for Children. The sad thing is that these injuries are easily prevented.

Here are a few suggestions to keep your little one safe:

1. Run cold water into the tub first, then add hot water to reach a safe temperature. This will prevent a scald burn if she should fall into the tub while it is being filled.

2. Before placing him into the tub, check the water temperature by running your hand through the water for a few seconds. If it feels hot, it’s too hot for your child. A good temperature is about 32-35 degrees C / 90-95 degrees F.

3. Face her away from the faucet, and closer to the other end of the tub.

4. Do not allow your child to touch the taps. Even if he can’t turn them on now, he’ll be strong enough to do so soon.

5. Set your water heater to 49 degrees C / 120 degrees F. A child can get scalded in less than a minute in water at 60 degrees C / 140 degrees F.