For those who are pregnant, a common answer to the question “How are you feeling” is “ I feel tired”. This is common because fatigue is a very usual occurrence in pregnant women. During pregnancy, the body is working hard because of the challenge posed by the growing baby. The body also produces more blood and more water and nutrients is used. You will see that during pregnancy, a short walk may already be so tiresome as well as other activities you have done so easily before.

Now, the easiest way to combat this is to go ahead and rest. However, there are times that this is not possible, like if you are working. In this case, several other steps could be done to help you battle the pregnancy fatigue. This article will try to give suggestions on how to change your diet that could help you feel less tired during the day.

The first thing we would suggest is for you to change your meal size. Instead of eating 3 heavy meals, it might actually better to have 6 small meals throughout the day. If you eat big, too much energy will be taken from you in trying to digest the big meal. So eat small, but eat plenty.

The next thing you have to do is to ensure that you eat breakfast regularly. When we wake up, our body needs nourishment because it was on fasting while you were sleeping. A good breakfast will be able to provide this and give you the energy to face the day ahead.

Eating a good breakfast does not mean you can skip lunch though. It is important for you to eat all the major meals of the day, even in small servings. You will need the nutrients from lunch to give you the fuel to sustain you.

You need an extra 300 calories per day if you are pregnant. It is important that you get these calories from healthy food such as nuts, vegetables and cheese. Chocolates, candy and sodas may get you more tired than after the initial boost of energy. You have to eat lots of iron too, as fatigue may actually be a sign of iron deficiency in the body.

So to avoid fatigue, just manage your eating and eat well. Of course, if you are able to rest, go ahead and indulge yourself. Stay away from the late night TV shows that you watch. Have an early night cp instead. You will need all the energy you can get during pregnancy, and believe us; sleep will come harder once the baby is out.

One of the most collectibles is the Barbie doll. Through the years, not much has changed except for may be the outfits and the accessories truly making it a classic.

Barbie was invented by Ruth Handler and was introduced in a toy fair in New York City. Naturally, it was an instant success.

Just to give you an idea of what Barbie has done, she has had over 80 jobs from being a fashion model to even a president. There was even a version to promote the Olympics that was released to the market in 1975 and 2000.

There are those who say that Barbie was sometimes controversial. One example is when the company decided to make the doll join the army. She served as a medic during Operating Desert Storm in 92 that had to go through the approval of the military to make sure the uniforms were authentic. To promote the quest for space, the company even made the astronaut version with the last in 1994.

So you could say that Barbie has been through a lot for almost 50 years. So how much do collectible Barbie dolls sell for? If you happen to have one that has never been opened, there is a chance you could sell this to someone for $2,500. If you have one of the first that came out especially in 1959, you could get a check worth $10,000.

The next question once you have it is how do you take care of it? Here are some tips that you should follow to keep you collectible Barbie dolls in good condition.

First, never store this in the attic or basement. This is because although they are safe in a box, the temperatures in these places change which could ruin the doll. Also, the Barbie doll should be placed face down because if this is left on their backs, the eyes could fall off after some time.

Since most people want to show this to the world, be sure to dust them regularly. This is because if you don’t do anything about it, you may be forced to wash it and lower its resale value.

Another thing you have to do is keep your collectible Barbie dolls away from other children or pets. If left out in the open, this can be bitten or mangled. In short, destroyed and you wouldn’t want that to happen when you want make a profit later on.

Also, do not keep your collectible Barbie container. If you want to, go ahead but be very careful because the slightest moisture that enters the air tight plastic container may cause mildew or molds to grow. This can be prevented of course by putting a few small holes so moisture will be able to evaporate.

The most important tip is never expose your collectible Barbie doll to direct sunlight or any bright light as this will make the color of her skin and the outfit made.

So how do you sell your Barbie collectible doll? You can attend a convention, offer this to a specialty store or offer this to the highest bidder online. Don’t forget that you can make some money by also selling the accessories since Barbie had a lot to offer like her cars and pets. Just check on the market value of what you have and then look for potential buyers.

Is your child suffering from not spending enough time in nature? Richard Louv, author of Last Child In The Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, asserts that many modern children do. In fact, other medical and mental health experts and a growing body of researchers are also concerned about how little time our children are spending in the great outdoors. Why should parents be aware of this? What are some of the problems that result from nature deficit and what can we do to prevent it in our children?

First let’s define the problem. As Louv sees it, when our kids spend less time in natural environments, the results are what we’re seeing more and more of in recent years: weight issues in children, attention problems, depression, anxiety and stress. According to Louv, anecdotal evidence as well as several studies point to a connection between the increasing amount of time our kids spend indoors doing more sedentary activities, and emotional, health and social problems.

To be fair, many parents are justifiably concerned about safety. But this comes at a price. Many of us who are parents today remember spending much of our own childhoods out of doors, even in less than perfect weather! Long walks through the woods with friends, bike rides through the neighborhood feeling the wind in our hair, day dreaming for hours on the tire swing under the tree, these were the stuff memories were made of. Our kids today are often shuttled from one activity to another, most of these taking place in structured environments, and many of them indoors. What are our kids missing out on?

The research points to several things. One is that spending time in nature can help relieve stress. It also helps kids focus more. One study conducted by the University of Illinois found that children with attention problems can focus better after outdoor activities. Other studies point to increased cognitive ability among kids who have access to natural settings and display fewer attention lapses (such as interrupting, not listening and distraction). Also important are the findings that unstructured play (the kind that takes place when kids roam the great outdoors) leads to enhanced emotional and social development. They get better at problem solving and getting along with other kids. Not to be discounted is the fact any Mom can testify to: that getting the kids outdoors makes them calmer, helps them eat better as well as sleep better!

So how do we make sure our kids are getting enough time outside, especially if we don’t live in a rural area? One way is to structure recreation around nature. Spending time in parks, taking walks on nature trails, hiking, mountain climbing, visiting lakes, rivers and beaches and picnics outdoors are some ideas. Even in urban areas you probably have access to city parks and botanical gardens. Build a treehouse in your backyard if you can. Encourage your kids to go outside and play as much as possible. Make it mandatory if they don’t seem to enjoy it at first. Like eating vegetables, they often will start to love it with time. If it’s not safe for your kids to play outside without supervision, then spend time outside with them. Go for walks outside as a family. Eat some of your meals outdoors if weather permits. Involve the kids in outdoor chores like yard work or hanging laundry. The benefits will likely be obvious to you after a period of time and are worth the extra effort.

It is already common knowledge that eating well during pregnancy is very important. We know this to be true because the baby is getting all its nutrients from the mother’s baby and whatever the mom eats, that what the baby eats as well.

However, it is not well known that eating good is also needed even before you get pregnant. For those who are trying to conceive, it is important for you to prepare your body for the challenge of pregnancy.

Once you have decided you want to get pregnant, go to your doctor and seek his advise. He will tell you if your body is physically ready to have a baby. He would either advise to gain a few weights, or chances are, he might also ask you to lose some first before getting pregnant.

Now, once the decision is firm, you have to act like you really do want a baby. Start eating healthy and start to avoid smoking, caffeine and alcohol. We know that smoking has very bad effects to the baby’s health, but that is not the only thing it affects. It could also affect your fertility level. So the more you smoke, the less chance for you to get pregnant. Also, if you don’t quit at once, there might come a point that you are already pregnant and you are still smoking. Remember that most pregnancy test will be able to tell you are positive only after the second week. So that is two weeks of cigarette smoke for your baby. For others, this may actually be even more.

For alcohol, it has been found that exposure of alcohol during the early weeks of pregnancy may cause birth defects on children. SO it is best to stop while it is early and prevent any possibilities of any birth defects occurring.

From this point, you already have to start taking in lots of vitamins and minerals. This will help your body prepare and give you a healthy pregnancy you can feel safely about. Aside from taking in vitamins, water intake should be increased as well. The water will be able to flush out all the toxins within.

Getting pregnant may be no trouble for some. For others though, this may be a difficult feat. To increase your chances of pregnancy, follow the steps we have suggested. Remember as well that is not enough for you to get pregnant, you actually have to give birth. Taking care of your body even before you do get pregnant is one way to move closer to having that bouncing baby boy you want.

Ever enjoyed a movie and want to take something home with you as a souvenir? Well some manufacturers have done that by creating action figures like for Star Wars and Aliens. One timeless classic that also has collectible dolls is the Wizard of Oz.

One company that makes this is the Tonner Doll Company. They have all the characters there like Glinda, the Wicked Witch of the West, Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow and the Cowardly Lion. Each Wizard of Oz collectible doll is sold separately and is priced at $124.99.

Each character is made from hard plastic with jointing elbows, hips, knees, neck and shoulders so you can change their poses. They also have interchangeable clothes so you can put something new for them to wear.

In fact, when they first released in the market, it sold like hot cakes making it difficult for others to see or even buy them. Aside from the main characters, there are also collectible dolls with different outfits set in different locations.

There is a doll that goes out to lunch, off to a party, strolling around Emerald City and or course the basics.

You should take note though that the Wizard of Oz Collectible Dolls does not resemble any of the characters that played in the movie or even in the musical. This is just the artist’s way of portraying these characters.

Two other companies have also made their own versions of the Wizard of Oz. These are namely Madame Alexander and Barbie.

If you compare the prices of all three, Barbie is offering this at the most affordable price of less than $30 a piece. Although they are 4 inches shorter, they are still great collector’s item for anyone who loves to bring a part of the movies home.

Once you start your Wizard of Oz Collectible Doll collection, be sure you know how to take care of them so that this could still be saleable in the future. This should be stored in a climate controlled environment because changes from hot to cold or vice versa could damage the doll. An ideal place to put them would be in a chest of drawers or a trunk.

It is also best to keep them in their original packaging or air tight container so moisture does not develop. If these will be stored, this should be wrapped using acid free tissue. If there are any metals, place this somewhere else as it can discolor the plastic.

Probably the only advantage of hard plastic dolls is that you can clean the body using almost any soap detergent just as long as it does not have any ingredients that include ammonia, bleach or chlorine.

Oxygen 10 can also be used to remove stains that are not close to any painted surfaces by moistening a cotton ball. After letting it dry for a few hours, wash it with water and mild soap then rinse well.

One important thing you must remember about any doll is never get it exposed to sunlight. This will make the fabric fade which will also decrease the value of your collectible.

The Wizard of Oz Collectible Doll is must have for those who have been touched by the movie or the play. It has a different message for each of us and one line that perhaps everyone will remember is that “there is no place like home.”

Pregnancy is a very critical stage, both for you and the baby you will bring forth. It is of vital importance that you take care of yourself. Have a healthy diet and do not forget your prenatal vitamins. Should you have any problems, or actually even before you do, consult your doctor. The future of your baby is in your hands so you better take good care of it.

So you want to raise a natural child. Let’s say you are in the preconception or early pregnancy stage of parenting. What are some of the best ways to get started on the natural path from the beginning?

It all starts with food

It might sound obvious to say that the main reason people rely on medicine is poor health, yet to many people good health is a mystery and ill health seems to strike randomly. Almost eighty years ago a dentist name Dr. Weston Price traveled to various primitive people groups around the world searching for their secret to radiant health and near perfect teeth. The most striking and consistent thing he discovered was that as long as they were eating their native diets, they were healthy overall and had very little dental caries. But once they switched to the modern diet, which was high in refined flour and sugar, it didn’t take long for their teeth and health to suffer, and it got worse with each generation. Also interesting were the difficulties women on the newfangled diet had in childbirth. Today degenerative diseases run rampant, and a good argument can be made that our modern diet leaves much to be desired. Begin by educating yourself on what real healthy eating means, and start putting what you learn into practice no matter what age you and your children are.

Consider giving birth at home

The way a child enters the world has profound implications on how the child develops. If you want your child to grow up natural, what better way than to welcome him into the world in the most natural way possible, in the comfort and privacy of your own home? In addition to the birth, a home birth midwife can give excellent prenatal care, and often, she will use natural remedies to treat the various complaints of pregnancy. She can also help you keep on track with eating well.

If you’re having a boy, don’t circumcise him

Circumcision (other than for religious conviction) is unnecessary and can be harmful. At the least, it’s elective cosmetic surgery. Most experts now agree that routine circumcision is inappropriate. There is nothing dirty or shameful about your baby boy’s anatomy.

Once your baby is born, use cloth diapers in combination with some elimination communication.
From birth, your baby can control his toileting functions. Even if you’re only doing EC part time, each time baby pees or poops in the potty, that’s one less diaper you have to wash. When you do use diapers, buy or make cloth diapers. If you want to go further, use an all-natural soap to launder them.

Even more important than diaper choice is how you feed your baby.
To raise a baby naturally, you will choose to breastfeed the baby. You are probably well aware of the many benefits babies (and moms) gain from breastfeeding. One of the interesting and not totally understood benefits is that the suckling action helps the child’s jaw grow properly, which can save you a mint in future orthodontic bills.

A lot of studies and articles have established the fact that you must eat healthy during pregnancy so your baby will be healthy as well. There is no question in that; we do not argue the fact that eating healthy during pregnancy has a lot of good effects to your unborn baby. However, having a healthy diet during pregnancy is not just for the baby alone. There is one more person who benefits from your healthy diet during pregnancy. That person we are talking about is you.

We know how difficult pregnancy is. Rarely do women have a stress-free and problem-free pregnancy. Most of the times, women suffer from all the little and not so little things that come with pregnancy. During the first trimester, we have nausea and fatigue. During the second trimester we have the usual bouts of constipation, heartburn and diabetes. During the last trimester we have varicose veins and back aches. Too many complaints for a bit too long, the body is definitely under a lot of stress during pregnancy. Therefore, a good and healthy diet is needed not just by the baby but the pregnant mother as well.

It has been said that some of the complications during pregnancy could be avoided if the woman follows a healthy diet. If a woman eats healthy during pregnancy, then she will have a relatively safe and uncomplicated trimester. Complex carbohydrates is actually good as it helps gives the woman extra energy to relieve tiredness. If fatty food is avoided, heartburns might be avoided as well. Preeclampsia can be avoided by the intake of lots of vitamin C, E and magnesium and it could be aggravated by an intake of too much sugar.

Among the biggest benefits of eating healthy during pregnancy is the help it gives during actual labor and delivery. It is said that a healthy diet could prevent a pre-term labor from occurring. Pre-term is when the woman goes to labor before the 37th week of pregnancy. Also, if the woman had a good diet during pregnancy, she will have the needed energy during labor and delivery. You can go ahead and ask any woman who has given birth, she will tell you that energy is really needed during this last few moments of pregnancy. Labor and delivery is no easy feat. You will need to have the strength and endurance to make it through the painful contractions and the heavy pushing. Eating healthy throughout your pregnancy will make sure that you have the energy needed during labor and delivery.

Now, after you have given birth to your baby, you should not stop from eating well. You are still weak from all the ordeals you went through and will still need the strength to recover. Some doctors actually recommend that for the next three months after giving birth, you have to eat as if you are still pregnant.

So you see, it is not just your baby who needs the food you eat. Along with the little one, the big and bloated one needs the nourishment as well. So do not by any means restrict you from eating healthy. Eat lots of good and healthy food. Be careful however. When we say eat healthy, it is not synonymous to eat plenty. Too much unhealthy food will also be bad for you.

It has taken some time, but finally there is widespread awareness that electronic games are contributing to the poor health of our kids. Studies are showing that kids in general are spending approximately 5 hours a day in front of the TV and/or game video screen. Sure some of these games can be entertaining or even stimulating to a point, but 5 hours of electronic entertainment is way too much time for growing kids to spend in one stationary position.

Researchers from Yale University and the University of Hawaii published a paper recently stating that by 2010 more than 50% of children in America will be overweight. That’s a statistic that no one wants to see realized. So what can we do? For many families it will take a significant effort to change some activities that have become hard to break habits.

Electronic games and DVDs have become the modern pacifier for many kids. Parents will often pop in a DVD or whip out the Game Boy to keep kids occupied during long trips, while seated in waiting rooms or at any moment in the day when a child says “I’m bored.”

The challenge is to find ways to control (or better yet eliminate) the use of electronics as a means of childhood entertainment. To get some ideas as to what you might do to entertain your kids, let’s take a look back to the pre-Game Boy era…

It’s a Wednesday evening, dinner’s done and the kids have finished their homework. Mom looks to the game cupboard and pulls the Twister box off the shelf. Twister is the game where the players are the game pieces. Unfold the game “sheet” on the family room floor, get the spinner out, spin away and start moving arms and limbs onto the colored dots as directed by the spinner. Last person to fall wins. Now that’s a fun way to end a typical week day.

While Twister is a game from the past, it is very much available today as are a good many traditional games that are engaging, fun and require no batteries or adapters! The following are great games for all ages that you might want to pick up either on ebay, at a local garage sale, or your local toy store: Monopoly (not the electronic version), Sorry, Battleship, Clue and Scrabble.

What to do on a snowy Saturday afternoon? Why build a snow fort of course? Moms and Dads can and should join in this game since the more hands involved in fort construction the sooner it’ll be ready for its military inhabitants! All that snow that is cleared from the driveway and that is on the lawn, will be put to great use as building material for the family snow fort.

Who doesn’t like the game “Simon Says”? This classic movement game is fun for any age and the best part is your 2 year old can have as much fun playing this as the 12 year old. Assign a young child to be “Simon” for a really neat “Simon Says” session. Mom and Dad can be pretty good at giving orders around the house let’s see how good (or how able) they are at following directions especially when the order is “Touch your toes!” Keep your chiropractor on call during your “Simon Says” sessions.

The best part of any “non-electronic” family activity is the good conversation and laughter that are so much a part of family life. Watching your kids giggle as you trip over yourself during a game of Twister is a priceless moment no electronic game can replace.

Dolls are probably something you grew up with as a child. But some are not able to let go and carry this into adulthood. There is nothing wrong with that because you can make a few bucks when you are able to buy discounted collectible dolls from a reputable supplier.

One of the best places to look for discounted collectible dolls is the Internet. This is because there are hundreds of sites available and you can compare and even haggle with some of the owners to get a good price if you buy these in bulk.

In fact, you can even use this medium to sell what you have to potential buyers and use your profits to buy new items.

Before you shop for discounted collectible dolls, you have to know which products are in demand right now. This will assure you that you are able to make a profit from you buy and here are a few.

The number one on the list which has been around for close to 50 years is Barbie. Together with Ken and the accessories that this girl has, you can be sure that people who played with these years ago would love to own them again.

Another favorite is Previous Moments that was released in to the market in the 1970’s. From simple drawings, their products diversified which soon included miniature collectible dolls. You can’t play with them or change their clothes but they are nice to have as décor for any room.

If you are into Charlie Brown, then perhaps you should get the collectible dolls by Madame Alexander. Since 1923, this company has been dolls of all shapes, sizes, colors and designs. Since the outfits are interchangeable, you can make one doll appear in different time periods.

Who cannot forget the Cabbage Patch Kids? What makes this collectible doll unique is that you don’t buy them but rather adopt them. You just have to visit their website because you can’t find this anywhere else.

Who said dolls are not better than the real thing? Lee Middleton dolls are so life like that at times, people mistake for it like a real baby in distress. New collections are added each month so you just have to find out what the market wants and sell this to interested buyers.

Surely, everyone has heard of Hasbro. This toy company gave us GI Joe, Transformers, Star Wars and a host of other action figures which caters not only to girls but boys as well. There are so many to choose from that you can already open your own specialty store.

One doll that is giving Barbie a run for her money is Bratz. Although very new in the market, sales have increased over the past 4 years. Since you already know how to take care of collectible dolls, can you imagine how much you can sell this for in the next 20 or 30 years?

Lastly, there is American Girl dolls. What make this unique from the rest is that they are ethnically diverse.

Each of these discounted collectible dolls has something to offer to the consumer. You just have to do some shopping, work on your pricing and take care of them properly so you can get a return on your investment.