Pampers Swaddlers and Cruisers with Dry Max are the brand’s new high performance diapers and the biggest innovation for the Pampers brand in the last 25 years. Pampers Diapers invented the Dry Max technology and applied it to the current Swaddlers and Cruisers core, which allows the diaper to be thinner than before. This game-changing diaper – Pampers’ driest ever – helps lock wetness in for up to 12 hours and its less bulky design helps give flexibility and comfort – perfect for all of babies’ play. The new diaper design also helps families reduce their impact on the environment by containing 10 percent less material weight. In fact, if current North American Pampers Swaddlers and Cruisers users switched to the new Pampers Cruisers Diapers with Dry Max diaper, they could together throw away the weight of 1 billion less diapers every three years (based on 08/09 volume for Swaddlers/Cruisers).

So, what do real moms think of the Pampers with Dry Max diapers?
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March brings on another bi-annual activity in most households:  the spring parent-teacher conference. My husband and I enjoy these meetings and get a lot of good information about our daughter’s progress in school.  What is there not to enjoy about hearing someone talk about what your little girl is learning and how well she is doing? Before going further, a nod to all of the teachers who prepare extensive reports for these meetings.  From your child’s academic successes and challenges to her expanding horizons and social interactions, done correctly, these meetings give us insight to her early strengths and weaknesses.

The conference at our school is with our daughter’s homeroom teachers, but we are also invited to visit with the teachers who work with her in science, music, physical education, art, math, and, of course, reading.  Some parents meet only with the homeroom teachers who provide the overall report with input from all of the other subject teachers.  We try and meet with all of our daughter’s teachers-even her physical education teacher because it enhances parent-teacher communication, and like all of us, teachers respond better to those who are interested.

The conferences at this age are a pleasure.  I say this knowing that we all face the challenges ahead. Our school houses the lower and upper school population in one building; middle school, in a separate building.  As I look at the faces of the parents of the upper school girls and the girls themselves, I can see the strain and pressure of the competitive academic environment.  Perhaps that is one of the best reasons to participate in parent-teacher conferences early and regularly because the consistency of parental support is so reassuring to the process.

So the best advice for parent-teacher conferences?  Go early, go regularly, and go eagerly.  Your attitude about these meetings-starting at the ages of our classy girls-sets a precedent for these meetings for years to come.  Relish in the good news and work through any issues before they become problems.  It creates a win-win-win for you, your classy girl, and her teachers.

Healthful Mom, Deborah Hernan

Creator & Founder of Ottilie & Lulu skin and hair care for tween girls

Recently, I’ve been wondering if I’m the only mother who despises the Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series of children’s books?  The first book achieved NY Times Best Seller status.   Several other books swiftly followed and now the movie is scheduled to be released this month.  The book has proven to be amazingly popular among kids.  Like most things, the older kids start reading it and then it trickles down to the younger kids who want to emulate the older kids.

In case you aren’t familiar with the story, it’s about Greg, a young boy in middle school who writes about his life in a “journal” because real men don’t write diaries.  The book is illustrated like a comic book and written in the first person.  My oldest daughter devoured all the books and thought that they were “SO FUNNY.”  In fact, she gave me the first book to read so that I could see how funny it was.  Imagine my surprise when I started reading the book and discovered that the main character is quite mean-spirited, narcissistic and not someone that I would want my daughter to emulate.

As a parent, I want to encourage my children to read and foster a love of books.  I probably wouldn’t have made a big fuss about this book series except that my daughter started imitating some of the antics that the main character tries to pull off.  That’s when I knew that I needed to talk about this book and discuss the behavior of the main character.

I don’t believe in censorship but I do believe in making sure that the reader has the maturity to handle the subject matter.  My 8 year old daughter (who is in the 3rd grade) clearly didn’t.  I guess we’ll be skipping the movie…

Even if you can’t catch a leprechaun this March 17, you can still make one (along with many other crafts and treats) to celebrate the greenest holiday of all – St. Patrick’s Day! Celebrate at home – or in the classroom – with Disney FamilyFun magazine’s mischievous ideas – and you’re sure to ‘strike gold!’

CRAFTS AND GAMES

Wee Leprechaun: Make-your-own leprechaun!

St. Patrick’s Day Scavenger Hunt: Follow fun all the way to a faux pot of gold.

To Catch A Leprechaun: Three clever traps for taking a stand against St. Patrick’s Day mischief: Leprechaun Hat Pit Trap, Rainbow Cage Drop, Tricky Trapdoor

Green Stamp: Spread the luck o’ the Irish this St. Patrick’s Day with a homemade shamrock stamp. Use it to decorate paper place mats, coasters, tablecloths, or anything else your little leprechauns wish to dress in green.

RECIPES

Clover Cookies: For St. Patrick’s Day (March 17), or any day you feel like you need a little extra luck, bake up a batch of these cheerful green shamrock cookies. Give some to your friends and classmates, so they will be lucky, too.

Taste a Rainbow Cupcakes: Here’s what little leprechauns look forward to on St. Patrick’s Day: a magical snack that can add color to the grayest March afternoon. Pot of gold not included.

Luck of the Irish Cupcakes: It’s not far to the gold at the end of this rainbow-topped Emerald Isle cupcake, just the thing for your lads and lasses on St. Patrick’s Day.

Shamrock Cupcakes: It doesn’t take the luck of the Irish to make these St. Patty’s Day treats look so sweet — just a clever baking technique.

St. Patrick’s Pot of Gold: Surprise your favorite little people on March 17th with these wee emerald pots filled with sweet, edible gold.

This St. Patrick’s Day get into the fun with your Classy Girl and make something special for the day!  My kids are always talking about wanting to catch a leprechaun so I think we will be making one of those nifty traps, or maybe all three!

Visit Disney Family Fun for more St. Patrick’s Day fun and recipes!

Does your little one have to hold themselves up on the potty, when you’re in a public restroom? Does your Classy Girl seem like a magnet for germs? Here what this young Classy Girl has to say about Glovies (protective hand covers intended for public restroom excursions) and let us know…

Would YOU use these Glovies?

Find Glovies at MyMomKnowsBest.com

Contributed By Chic Mom