This was in the news quite a bit around the beginning of December, however I am just getting around to discussing this topic on my blog since another children's product has the same message.

Wal-Mart managers are removing the Mattel Little Mommy Cuddle n’ Coo baby doll that says "Islam is the Light" from store shelves, according to reports from parents and the media across the U.S. and Canada, as well as Wal-Mart employees. Many Wal-Mart managers have removed the controversial doll in the last two weeks, and others are removing it as soon as parents ask.

In a more recent story from the site labelthatdoll.com, mother, Rachel Jones, first encountered the uninvited message in her baby daughter’s baby doll back in December. Now her eight year old daughter’s Nintendo Baby Pals toy says the same thing. Is it a coincidence? Or is there a concerted effort to invite young American girls to join Islam?

Jessica Hayes of WTHI TV, Channel 10 in Terra Haute, Indiana, has the story, here.

Learn more about what happens to little girls who live under Shariah law here and here.

I couldn't believe that something like this is being marketed for our children. Not that I'm against any race, religion or philosophy...but to try and impose it on our children without them understanding or realizing what it is trying to teach them...is just wrong.

How does this product make you feel? Would you have protested or considered it harmless? Did you purchase one without knowing and return it?

©2008 Patricia Garza

Labels: awareness, baby, children's, kids, miscellaneous, moms, parents, petition, politics, product recalls, toys, Viral video, YouTube

©2008 Patricia Garza

Labels: advice, bonding, child care, child development, dads, families, family, fatherhood, finances, kids, mom, parenting, staying at home, Staying at Home With the Kids, video, work at home, working

I found this great article today on Angie's blog at frugal work at home mom talk radio:

Finding time to spend with your kids when you’re working from home can be a challenge. Use these tips from other work-at-home moms (WAHMs) to ensure you’re getting the family time you’d like.9 Tips for Scheduling Time with Kids When You Work from Home, Jan 2009

I am always looking for new ideas and ways to share time with my family and keep my blog and sites up to date. Lately, I have been doing a limited job at both. 

My oldest son goes to pre-school three days a week for about five hours a day, while I am home with my 20 month old during this time. Ideally I would like to get more writing done and my sites updated during this time, however end up tending to his needs more than getting any work done or I  find I have just enough time to microblog on twitter instead. 

Otherwise, I am up late at night trying to focus on work and find myself too tired to write or work and end up on twitter. While I think twitter is great for networking with others who share your interests, it is still a fairly new concept for marketing. I don't like to use it too much for marketing but do share blog updates or site updates via twitter. This helps me to learn new things, share resources quickly and keep connected while spending bits of time online and taking care of my sons during the week. 

I find that I have the most time to focus on weekends when my husband is home to help care for the boys, however this sometimes takes away from our weekend fun. Managing my time online and with my family are a continuous challenge, yet I am striving to find a way to do both and feel like I am providing value to both.

What are some ways you manage your mommy time, work time and family time? Please share your thoughts in the comments. Thanks!

©2008 Patricia Garza

Contrary to Mainstream Media, Hundreds of Thousands at Giant Washington March For Life Nellie Gray says larger # this year a reaction to Obama electionMarch for Life chief organizer Nellie Gray told LifeSiteNews the crowd definitely appeared larger than normal this year. She said there were "definitely over 200,000" participants...

read more | digg story

©2008 Patricia Garza

photo by RomulusRueda

Obnoxious teasing and bullying of children are common in neighborhoods and in schools.  About 75 percent of children in the United States get bullied before they reach adulthood.  When I was a child in the 1950s, people thought that kids should deal with such harassment themselves because it would toughen them up.  However, few children have the social and physical skills needed to discourage bullies.  For example, when I entered kindergarten, one girl made fun of me because I was very thin.  She would say, “You’re so skinny that I can see right through you.”  She hurt my feelings every day.  After school, I would go home and cry.  I did not know what to do, and I was very upset.

Read More... then submit your childhood stories and parenting related articles.

©2008 Patricia Garza

Labels: advice, awareness, books, bullying, children, janet heller, parenting, school

President Obama released his first official statement on abortion as an occupant of the Oval Office:

On the 36th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, we are reminded that this decision not only protects women's health and reproductive freedom, but stands for a broader principle: that government should not intrude on our most private family matters. I remain committed to protecting a woman's right to choose.

While this is a sensitive and often divisive issue, no matter what our views, we are united in our determination to prevent unintended pregnancies, reduce the need for abortion, and support women and families in the choices they make. To accomplish these goals, we must work to find common ground to expand access to affordable contraception, accurate health information, and preventative services.

On this anniversary, we must also recommit ourselves more broadly to ensuring that our daughters have the same rights and opportunities as our sons: the chance to attain a world-class education; to have fulfilling careers in any industry; to be treated fairly and paid equally for their work; and to have no limits on their dreams. That is what I want for women everywhere.

What about the women who haven't had the right to be born yet? The women and children and future leaders of society that are aborted each year?

©2008 Patricia Garza

Labels: abortion, awareness, child abuse prevention, children, controversial, miscellaneous, motherhood, politics, pro-life, resources, Viral video, women, YouTube

I received this message earlier from an online friend via Myspace, please take the time to watch the video below and read Sandra's message, then sign the petition to support children with CHD.

Thanks!

----------------- Bulletin Message --------------

 
We would like to get our voices heard for the ones that cant speak. You may think your signature cant help but it can.

To the kids in the video above your signature means everything. Imagine if these were your kids and you had to endure everyday what these families do. So PLEASE go to the link below and sign the petition to get Congenital Heart Defects brought to the Media. Let’s get people to realize how serious of a condition this is and how it is affecting families. Please click on the banner below to make your voice heard and to make a difference.
Thank you truly,

Sandra

©2008 Patricia Garza

Labels: awareness, babies, chd, health, petition, video

Dear President Bush,

It is with great honor and sadness that I write this letter to you today. While many people are celebrating the incoming President's premature inauguration, I sit here in disbelief that eight years have gone by and we are about to appoint Obama as our next President.

I greatly admired your father when he served as President of the US and was elated to have you become President following the Clinton era. Thank you for keeping our country safe the past eight years, especially for your courage while leading the way to protect our country from terrorism since 9/11. I know the media and the left have been rather hard on your decisions, especially your decision to go into Iraq.

I don't understand where this anger comes from by those who oppose the war, but I and my family greatly appreciate your fortitude and for standing by your principles and beliefs to protect innocent civilians in Iraq from a cruel dictator such as Saddam Hussein. I also greatly appreciate and admire your willingness to stand up for the unborn by proclaiming National Sanctity of Life Day and passing several policies to support the unborn during your term in office.

Mr. President, you will always be my President, as you are a man of God. You believe in the right to life and defend life, the need to help the poor and needy in other countries such as Africa and you saw the need to free the citizens of Iraq so that they could experience democracy and live freely as we do in this great country. 

While I am hopeful, I am also saddened, that our next President will not honor the right to life and the unborn and may not support the citizens in countries taken over by terrorism and dictators. I will continue to pray for our great nation, the life of the unborn and the freedom of all people to enjoy and live life in equality. It is through God's will and power we will survive as a nation.

Lastly, thank you for going out with a bang and offering to commute former Border Patrol agents Ramos and Compean so that they could live freely again. As you realize, they were wrongfully convicted for doing the job they were hired to do, this will set a precedent that our law enforcement and border patrol agents are important to protecting our homeland. It is my hope the protection we need to keep enemies out and illegal immigrants out of this country will continue. While I am disheartened by the need for families to risk their lives crossing the border into our country, I feel it is in ours and their best interest to come here legally, so that they can be screened and arrive safely. Half of my maternal relatives immigrated here legally, therefore I feel it is imperative to follow and enforce the laws of the country in order to protect our liberties.

Farewell President Bush, you will be missed, yet never forgotten as a patriot who kept us safe and respected life as a man of God.

Prayers and blessings for happiness and may God Bless America,

©2008 Patricia Garza

Labels: 2009, abortion, awareness, miscellaneous, politics, pro-life

While on twitter this weekend I came across this important post from @arra, Bill Smith.

Blogs4Life - Calling all Bloggers & Twitters #prolife #TCOT

The inauguration of President-elect Barack Obama won't be the only occasion marked in Washington, D.C. next week. The 36th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision is cause for much reflection on how to build a culture of life in America. On the morning of January 22, 2009, The Family Research Council (FRC) will host the fourth-annual Blogs for Life event. Blogs for Life is the premier gathering to discuss online activism in the pro-life community.

If you can't join them in person next Thursday at FRC headquarters, then tune into to www.frc.org for a live webcast of the event from 8:30-11:30 am or they will also be broadcasting the event live on ustream.tv. You'll hear from prominent pro-life voices such as Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kans.), Amanda Carpenter, Jill Stanek, Danny Glover, Peter Shinn, Michael New, Ph.D, Charmaine Yoest, Ph.D., Michael Illions, Chris Gacek, J.D. and Martha Shuping, M.D. - all presenting opportunities for the pro-life movement to gain ground through online activity. Whether you blog, Twitter, or text, join us to be better equipped to stand for life in 2009.

See More: Blogs4Life

Join the pro-life movement and make a difference on Thursday and everyday!

©2008 Patricia Garza

Labels: 2009, abortion, abuse, awareness, babies, blog, child abuse prevention, children, controversial, family, FOCA, health, help, internet, law, medical issues, mother's, parenting, petition, pro-life, resources, responsibility, twitter

photo by gudbjorg_agustsdottir

Today is National Sanctity of Life Day as proclaimed by President George W. Bush on January 15, 2009.

A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

All (my emphasis) human life is a gift from our Creator that is sacred, unique, and worthy of protection. On National Sanctity of Human Life Day, our country recognizes that each person, including every person waiting to be born, has a special place and purpose in this world. We also underscore our dedication to heeding this message of conscience by speaking up for the weak and voiceless among us.

The most basic duty of government is to protect the life of the innocent. My Administration has been committed to building a culture of life by vigorously promoting adoption and parental notification laws, opposing Federal funding for abortions overseas, encouraging teen abstinence, and funding crisis pregnancy programs. In 2002, I was honored to sign into law the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, which extends legal protection to children who survive an abortion attempt. I signed legislation in 2003 to ban the cruel practice of partial-birth abortion, and that law represents our commitment to building a culture of life in America. Also, I was proud to sign the Unborn Victims of Violence Act of 2004, which allows authorities to charge a person who causes death or injury to a child in the womb with a separate offense in addition to any charges relating to the mother.

America is a caring Nation, and our values should guide us as we harness the gifts of science. In our zeal for new treatments and cures, we must never abandon our fundamental morals. We can achieve the great breakthroughs we all seek with reverence for the gift of life.

The sanctity of life is written in the hearts of all men and women. On this day and throughout the year, we aspire to build a society in which every child is welcome in life and protected in law. We also encourage more of our fellow Americans to join our just and noble cause. History tells us that with a cause rooted in our deepest principles and appealing to the best instincts of our citizens, we will prevail.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the Constitution and laws of the United States, do hereby proclaim January 18, 2009, as National Sanctity of Human Life Day. I call upon all Americans to recognize this day with appropriate ceremonies and to underscore our commitment to respecting and protecting the life and dignity of every human being.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this fifteenth day of January, in the year of our Lord two thousand nine, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

GEORGE W. BUSH

# # #

Please join us on twitter to share links and thoughts to support the pro-life movement.  Join us today on twitter, and in the future, to help make #pro-life a trending topic on twitter to help educate the twitterverse about the need to defend the rights of the unborn.  Help fight the proposed FOCA (Freedom of Choice Act) which Obama intends to put into law, which will remove all state laws which protect parental notification rights to the right to refuse to perform an abortion by doctors and clinics who oppose abortion.

Related links:

Fight FOCA » Sign the Fight FOCA Petition

The time to Fight FOCA is now. With Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid in charge of Congress, we can expect a fight over FOCA to begin as soon as the next Congress ...
www.fightfoca.com

Pro-Abortion Lawmakers Propose "FOCA" to Invalidate All Limits on ...

Apr 25, 2007 ... The FOCA, he noted, "would bar government – at any level -- from interfering with a woman's fundamental right to choose to bear a child, ...
www.nrlc.org

FOCA :: Americans United for Life

Nov 4, 2008 ... More importantly, FOCA is a cynical attempt to prematurely end the debate over ... FOCA creates a new and dangerously radical “right. ...
www.aul.org

Search Results - THOMAS (Library of Congress)

Freedom of Choice Act (Introduced in Senate). S 2020 IS ... SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. This Act may be cited as the `Freedom of Choice Act'. ...
thomas.loc.gov

YouTube - Barack Obama, Planned Parenthood, and FOCA

NARRATOR: What would you do as President? Fix the economy? End the war? Restore our schools?SEN. OBAMA: The first thing I'd do as President is sign the Fre.
www.youtube.com

YouTube - Barack Obama Promises to Sign FOCA

Watch the video and visit http://www.FightFOCA.comLast year before the Planned Parenthood Action Fund, Barack Obama told pro-abortion activists: "Th...
www.youtube.com

U.S. Bishops’ pro-life office corrects ‘misleading’ FOCA novena ...

Jan 14, 2009 ... Catholic News Agency is a daily news source with global coverage of the Catholic Church. Reports from the Vatican, US, Europe, Africa, Asia, ...
www.catholicnewsagency.com

The Audacity of FOCA

Since Obama has said that signing FOCA into law would be his first priority as a new ... Place an ad opposing FOCA in your local Catholic paper or other ...
www.ncregister.com

©2008 Patricia Garza

Labels: 2009, abortion, awareness, babies, child abuse prevention, childabuse, children, controversial, families, family, FOCA, health, law, life, medical issues, miscellaneous, moms, motherhood, parenting resources, petition, politics, prevention, pro-life, resources, responsibility, support, twitter, Viral video, YouTube

Don't miss Inkheart, the upcoming movie starring Brendan Fraser is a family-friendly fantasy adventure that sends a father and daughter on a quest through worlds both real and imagined.

The film “Inkheart” is based on a best-selling book of the same name by
internationally acclaimed author Cornelia Funke. An instant sensation when it was published in 2004, Inkheart became a #1 New York Times bestseller, spending a total
of 70 weeks on the list and going on to be translated into 37 languages. The first
novel in Funke’s Inkworld trilogy, Inkheart was followed by Inkspell, published in 2005,
and the latest book, Inkdeath, which was just published in 2008. In 2005, Funke, who has written nearly 50 books, was named one of Time magazine’s “Most Influential
People of the Year.”
“Inkheart” charts the adventures of Mortimer “Mo” Folchart and his daughter, Meggie, as they battle the evil forces of a fictional world—forces Mo
himself inadvertently called forth from the pages of a fantastical story by reading it aloud.

If you enjoy fantasy fiction, this is a must see movie for the whole family coming to theaters January 23, 2009. If you go stop by and share your thoughts on the movie.

If you've read the book share your thoughts on how the movie and book compare.

©2008 Patricia Garza

Labels: children, family, miscellaneous, parenting resources, parents, reviews

I recently watched this short film on teaching your child responsibility from the responsibilityproject.com sponsored by Liberty Mutual.

I enjoyed the video...felt some of the comments were a bit critical...however, I do agree that the storyline doesn't really teach responsibility, but does show how much a parents love for their child will make them go out of their way.

However, I do not necessarily agree that a parent should go to this extreme to please their child. I think parents should teach children responsibility by showing them to take care of their things rather than replacing them when they are lost or broken. One has to learn to value their belongings by taking care of them. When our (four year old) son breaks a toy or loses something we remind him he needs to remember to put things back and take care of his toys or he won't have it anymore to use.

I think this value teaches more responsibility than having the parent go out of their way to find or replace the toy. Sure Tony is a sick child, perhaps with cancer, and the parent wants to grant all the child's wishes before his time comes to leave this world...but the child didn't seem as attached to the bear as the parents may have thought since he seemed to live without it just fine and moved on to other things he enjoyed, such as watching 'Scooby Doo'.

In addition, the child didn't show any excitement or surprise that his father found his bear...so the lesson for parents should be not to go to extremes to please their child, as the child may not appreciate it and the child may not learn to appreciate others or their belongings if you do.

What are your thoughts? How do you teach your child responsibility and how to care for their belongings? Please share in the comments below.

©2008 Patricia Garza

Labels: children, development, family, kids, miscellaneous, parenting, parents, responsibility, self-esteem, teaching, toddlers, toys, video

There has been a lot of talk online lately about this new law called the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act, which is expected to pass next month.

I just came across this article posted at World Net Daily which discusses the issue pretty clearly. Here is a preview of the article:

YOUR GOVERNMENT AT WORK
By Chelsea Schilling
© 2009 WorldNetDaily

Jacobsen Books in Clinton, Wis.

A new government regulation scheduled to take effect next month has thousands of retailers, thrift stores and small businesses worried they will be forced to permanently close their doors – and destroy their merchandise.

The law is expected to have such a devastating impact that Feb. 10 is now unofficially known as "National Bankruptcy Day."

Congress passed the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, or HR 4040, a retroactive rule mandating that all items sold for use by children under 12 must be tested by an independent party for lead and phthalates, which are chemicals used to make plastics more pliable.

All untested items, regardless of lead content, are to be declared "banned hazardous products.'' The CPSC has already determined the law applies to every children's item on shelves, not just to items made beginning Feb. 10.

The regulations could force thousands of businesses – especially smaller ones that cannot afford the cost of lead testing – to throw away truckloads of children's clothing, books, toys, furniture and other children's items and even force them to close their doors.

I know there are many home-based businesses, including mom-owned businesses that are concerned about this new law and what it will do to their income and lives. As a child our family often bought used clothes or toys to survive on my father's income, since my mom was a stay at home mom. Now that the economy is officially in a recession and unemployment has reached a high of 7.2% there are many families searching for ways to cut back on expenses. Purchasing used toys or clothing is apt to be one of those ways, including starting a home business designing or creating toys or clothes and crafts.

What will those families do to save money if they do not have the option to purchase used clothing or toys for their children? How will the economy survive if more jobs are lost due to this new law? What will families do with items their children outgrow if they can no longer donate or resell them? This sounds like a law that is going too far to ban lead products. It seems to me the CPSC needs to determine which products test highest for lead, particularly those imported from China over the past year which have been recalled,  and then impose this law on those products and those companies or eliminate the import of products from China and those places where the products have tested high for lead or have been recalled.

You can read more about this law and how it will affect small businesses on this site and sign the petition against lead testing here.

Share your thoughts and opinions, help spread the word and ask your state and federal representatives to help save small business.

©2008 Patricia Garza

Labels: awareness, business, children, controversial, k-12, kids, law, miscellaneous, organizations, parenting, parents, petition, product recalls, recalls, resources, safety, toys

May you have a healthy, happy and prosperous new year! I am thankful to have a happy, healthy family and that my husband is starting a new job this year. I am also thankful that we are not living in a war zone and pray for peace in the Middle East.

The events of the past week have made me realize how much I appreciate the freedom we have in America. We have been struggling through economic hardships, yet our country is still one of the best and safest places to live. May it always be the best and safest place to live for all of us.

As I prepare to say goodbye to my brother-in law and younger sister, who will be moving East for his next military assignment, I pray not only for family but for the troops, our in-coming Presidential administration and our children's futures, along with the lives of the un-born. I hope that 2009 will be filled with better times for all and that those who are homeless, lonely, suffering addictions, mental illness, abandonment or abuse and other pain or misery are comforted this year.

Once again, I am thankful to those I have met online through twitter and look forward to a continued friendship with those who follow this blog, have joined me on MamasTimeOut©,  and follow me on twitter. Let's work together to make 2009 better for everyone in our lives, start by leaving a comment here on what you wish for 2009!

©2008 Patricia Garza

Labels: 2009, holidays, miscellaneous, self discovery, twitter