just4moms.netExciting News Every Mom Should Know…

WHEN it comes to being a mum it is much more than biology and genetics.

the miracle that is motherhood is sometimes planned, other times a complete surprise.

a woman's desire to have a baby has taken a backward step in recent years with more women choosing to wait until later in their lives to become a mum.

But for first-time mums Anne-Maree Nolan, Tianna Muscat and Samantha Mitchell, the joy of motherhood is the one job where they feel their lives are complete.

all three women are in their early to late 20s and never thought they would be mums to Liam, Kiara and Scarlette so early in their lives.

"it was never in my plan to have a baby in my 20s," Miss Mitchell said.

"Women want to live their life, go overseas and have a career."

But for Miss Mitchell, having Scarlette last year was one of the most amazing things she had done in her life.

"In my situation we had just got to a really comfortable place as us, and to throw another person into the mix was frightening," Miss Mitchell said.

"I thought, we don't know enough about each other to guarantee this was going to work.

"right now is the best time in my life. Scarlette is an amazing little person who I get to hang out with. it is allowing me to be a kid again."

for Miss Muscat the news that she was going to be a mum was a daunting experience.

"I thought, 'I am too young to have a baby, can I do this, am I going to survive this?'," Miss Muscat said.

for mrs Nolan she always wanted to be a mum and couldn't wait.

after Miss Muscat's daughter Kiara was born she said the first three months she was in survivor mode.

"it took a while to register that I had a baby to look after," she said.

"the first three months you are in survivor mode and sleeping whenever you can".

Miss Mitchell said when she became a mum she learnt more patience.

"This is going to sound really cheesy but I think being a mum has made me a better person. it has given me a lot more patience, a lot more respect for people and I see the world a bit differently now, because I have something so amazing to care for."

and mrs Nolan agreed and said it was the best job she ever had.

"I just love watching my son Liam grow plus all the cuddles and smiles," she said.

Miss Muscat said one of the joys of motherhood was when her baby did something new each day.

"you can be excited over the littlest of things, like clicking their tongue," she said.

Change in lifestyle the biggest hurdle

THE biggest hurdle in becoming a mum is the change in lifestyle.

Samantha Mitchell said it was the things you gave up for yourself, such as making your own money.

"My partner makes his own money and goes to work and gets that social interaction."

she said when she and her boyfriend were expecting their first child they sat down and worked out if they could afford it.

"We went through our finances – on paper we were fine but in reality we have to budget," Miss Mitchell said.

"Going on a coffee date or for lunch are things you don't do on a whim anymore because that money can do elsewhere.

"when I say we have to think about what we spend, we are still incredibly comfortable.

"We don't go without.

"I just don't spend money like I used to.

"you lose your independence because you are not making your own money."

Tianna Muscat said one of the biggest changes was losing your career and your body.

"you lose all self esteem, you wake up in the morning and you look in the mirror and you go 'Is that what I look like now? what happened?'."

"you have stretch marks and caesarean marks and flabby bits – but it is all worth it."

Here at Crafting a Green World, Julie Finn shared a fabulous tutorial on how to make a custom pinata with upcycled newspapers and natural glue. Instead of creating a star shape, make your pinata look like a globe. you could even paint it to look like …
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There’s a potential new health-care mandate developing in the state of California, where lawmakers want to crack down on parents who have concerns over the state-required vaccine injections for their children.

Unrelated to Obamacare, but instead coming from a state health-care push, the proposal, AB 2109 by Assemblyman Richard Pan, D-Sacramento, “seeks to rein in parents who object to mandatory vaccines for students,” according to officials with the Pacific Justice Institute.

The legal team said the present law allows parents to opt their children out of mandatory shots by sending a letter to the school and stating their beliefs that provide a foundation for their objections.

“Assemblyman Pan’s bill would require the creation of a new government form for those parents to complete, and would also require them to get a signature and information from a doctor, nurse practitioner or physician’s assistant about vaccines and communicable diseases,” the organization reported.

“the latter mandate would likely require parents to spend time and money in a doctor’s office when they are not sick, just to get information they could have accessed online.”

A health committee is scheduled to begin discussion of the proposal next week.

PJI said its attorneys have advised many parents over the years who, for a wide variety of religious and philosophical reasons, do not want their children injected with one or more of the mandatory vaccines.

“AB 2109 reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of both parents and the role of public health,” said PJI staff attorney Matthew McReynolds.

“the parents who have concerns about vaccines are not dumb, and they should not be forced to pay for state-mandated information they could easily get elsewhere, at little or no cost. This is a classic big-government solution in search of a problem,” he said.

“when government starts issuing healthcare mandates, watch your wallet,” warned Brad Dacus, president of the institute. “This special-interest legislation creates a windfall for Big Healthcare at the expense of conscientious parents.”

He said the trend of legislation that “pads the profits of pharmaceutical and healthcare giants at the expense of parents and taxpayers” is beginning to alarm.

Last year, PJI opposed legislation that now allows drug companies to give minors controversial injections like the HPV vaccine without telling their parents.

Once they convince kids they need the shots, HPV vaccine makers can then bill taxpayers through a federal program, officials said.

Apr 17, 2012

Burlington, Mass.–Sales were up 25 percent at Long’s Jewelers for Wedding Band Weekend, the store’s annual wedding band event that this year drew in nearly 2,000 men and women.

Each year, Long’s converts its 10,000 square-foot flagship location into a wall-to-wall showcase of wedding rings for three days, offering brands such as Ritani, a. Jaffe, Scott Kay and more. Custom wedding rings are available, as well as choices in platinum and gold.

“It’s such a thrill to help guide them towards the right wedding bands, which they’ll wear every day for so many years to come,” Craig Rottenberg, president of Long’s Jewelers, said. “I’m always amazed to see how many different wedding styles are chosen over the weekend to reflect the unique personalities of New Englanders.”

The store reported that this year’s average sale showed a 25 percent increase from Wedding Band Weekend 2011, and more platinum bands were sold than any other metal after the Platinum Guild International (PGI) and Long’s jewelers “taught all event attendees about the benefits of choosing a platinum wedding band.”

Wedding professionals and other related companies were also on hand to interact with customers, who tend to be of a younger demographic, according to Long’s. PGI, TAG Heuer and other businesses provided enter-to-win prizes for attending customers, and creative and elaborate wedding cakes decorated the store.

“It’s inspiring to see so many engaged couples who are just so happy to be starting a life together,” Rottenberg said.

Established in 1878, Long’s Jewelers operates five stores in Massachusetts, carrying brands such as Rolex, David Yurman, Mikimoto, Roberto Coin, Yvel and Breitling.

by Jill Cassidy – Apr. 19, 2012 05:21 PM The April 8 Compass Points column about travel insurance prompted a number of responses. One was from JP, a Peoria resident who had a frustrating experience when his trip was canceled.
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Statistically, people who exercise are much less likely than inactive people to abuse drugs or alcohol. But can exercise help curb addictions? Some research shows that exercise may stimulate reward centers in the brain, helping to ease cravings for drugs or other substances. But according to an eye-opening new study of cocaine-addicted mice, dedicated exercise may in some cases make it even harder to break an addiction.

The study, conducted by researchers at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, began by dividing male mice into those that had or did not have running wheels in their cages. All of the mice were injected with a chemical that marks newly created brain cells.

The animals then sat in their cages or ran at will for 30 days.

Afterward, the mice were placed in small multiroom chambers in the lab and introduced to liquid cocaine. They liked it.

Researchers frequently use a model known as “conditioned place preference” to study addiction in animals. if a rodent returns to and stubbornly plants itself in a particular place where it has received a drug or other pleasurable experience, then the researchers conclude that the animal has become habituated. It badly wants to repeat the experience that it associates with that place.

All of the mice displayed a decided place preference for the spot within their chamber where they received cocaine. They had learned to associate that location with the pleasures of the drug. All of the mice had, essentially, become addicts.

Some of the sedentary animals were then given running wheels and allowed to start exercising. Meanwhile, those mice that had always had wheels continued to use them.

Then the researchers cut off the animals’ drug supply and watched how long it took them to stop scuttling to their preferred place. This process, known as “extinction of the conditioned place preference,” is thought to indicate that an animal has overcome its addiction.

The researchers noted two distinct patterns among the addicted exercisers. the formerly sedentary mice that had begun running only after they became addicted lost their conditioned place preference quickly and with apparent ease. For them, it appeared relatively easy to break the habit.

Those that had been runners when they first tried cocaine, however, lost their preference slowly, if at all. many, in fact, never stopped hanging out in the drug-associated locale, a rather poignant reminder of the power of addiction.

“There is good news and maybe not-so-good news about our findings,” says Justin S. Rhodes, a professor of psychology at the University of Illinois and an author, with Martina L. Mustroph and others, of the study, published in the European Journal of Neuroscience.

It does indicate that shedding an addiction acquired when a person has been exercising could be extra challenging, he says.

“But, really, what the study shows,” he continues, “is how profoundly exercise affects learning.”

When the brains of the mice were examined, he points out, the runners had about twice as many new brain cells as the animals that had remained sedentary, a finding confirmed by earlier studies. These cells were centered in each animal’s hippocampus, a portion of the brain critical for associative learning, or the ability to associate a new thought with its context.

So, the researchers propose, the animals that had been running before they were introduced to cocaine had a plentiful supply of new brain cells primed to learn. and what they learned was to crave the drug. Consequently, they had much more difficulty forgetting what they’d learned and moving on from their addiction.

That same mechanism appeared to benefit animals that had started running after becoming addicted. Their new brain cells helped them to rapidly learn to stop associating drug and place, once the cocaine was taken away, and start adjusting to sobriety.

“Fundamentally, the results are encouraging,” Dr. Rhodes says. They show that by doubling the production of robust, young neurons, “exercise improves associative learning.”

But the findings also underscore that these new cells are indiscriminate and don’t care what you learn. They will amplify the process, whether you’re memorizing Shakespeare or growing dependent on nicotine.

None of which, Dr. Rhodes says, should discourage people from exercising or from using exercise to combat addictions. “We looked at one narrow aspect” of exercise and addiction, he says, related to learned behaviors and drug seeking.

He points to a number of studies by other researchers that have shown that exercise seems able to stimulate reward centers in the brain “that might substitute for drug cravings,” he says. Animals given voluntary access to both running wheels and narcotics, for example, almost always choose to take less of the drug than animals that couldn’t run. “They seem to get enough of a buzz” from the exercise, he says, that they need less of the drugs.

“It’s a no-brainer, really,” Dr. Rhodes concludes. “Exercise is good for you in almost every way.” But it is wise to bear in mind, he adds, that, by exercising, “you do create a greater capacity to learn, and it’s up to each individual to use that capacity wisely.”

Yes, it’s that time of year again – no, not spring – time for another secretly recorded Mel Gibson rant… and this one’s a doozy. At Sports Interaction, we like to keep foul language off our blog because there’s enough of it out there for you to peruse – therefore I’ll try to write this post without using any direct quotes from Gibson – since every word he used was foul.

Reportedly, Gibson was at his home in Costa Rica on a working vacation with a writing team working on the now shelved flick, The Maccabees. At Gibson’s home was screenwriter Joe Eszterhas, Eszterhas’ wife and 15-year-old son, Braveheart screenwriter Randall Wallace, Wallaces’ girlfriend, and a friend of Gibsons named Brad Hillstrom.

When Gibson gets wind that Eszterhas hasn’t yet finished the script, he launches into a tirade, which Eszterhas’ son recorded on his iPad. Eszterhas had publicly stated that Gibson had made antisemitic comments as well as threatening diatribes about his ex Oksana Grigorieva during the trip, but Gibson had denied these claims… so Eszterhas released the audio of one very uncomfortable meal. While guests were waiting to begin their meal, the recording captures Gibson storming around his home screaming profanities.

Eszterhas told TheWrap on Wednesday that he released the recording because “Gibson called me a liar. and I also have some reason to believe he’s creating a PR blitz questioning my truthfulness.”

The screenwriter, who spent two years writing a film (which Gibson was slated to direct) about a Jewish rebel army who took control of Judea, is now left wondering why Mel’s production company has shelved the project and wrote the actor/director a letter that both tell’s Gibson he needs psychiatric help before someone gets hurt and also pleads for his script back.

Eszterhas summizes that Gibson, who, amid bad press surrounding his presumed anti-semetism, has struggled at the box office, therefore used The Maccabees to deflect the stigma that has plagued his career. and now, get the Gringo, Gibson’s latest self-financed film, a $20-million crime drama set in a Mexican prison, won’t appear in theaters beyond Wednesday’s premiere in Austin, Texas, and instead will debut on the satellite service DirecTV on May 1.

Last year, The Beaver failed to gross even $1 million, and the year before Gibson’s $80-million drama Edge of Darkness sold just $43.3 million in tickets domestically. Related posts:

1. Mel Gibson Unhurt in Car Crash
2. Sports Interaction Posts Mel Gibson Tape rage Odds
3. Oksana Grigorieva Spills Mel Gibson Beans to People Magazine
4. Bret Michaels Engaged to Kristi Gibson
5. John Galliano Blames Valium for His Anti-Semetic Rant

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

It was April 14, and it was the party of Kelly Fiber’s life.

Nevermind that her birthday was two days before and that it wasn’t a traditional milestone birthday, but this was a year that friends and family quietly wondered if Ms. Fiber would live to see.

“the day before the party she went into hospice,” said her sister Stephanie Fiber-Sutton, of Alpharetta. “and the day of the party, we just didn’t know if she was going to make it.”

But one hour before the party, Ms. Fiber woke up, was alert and ready to receive her guests. and receive them she did, her sister said. Known as a social butterfly, Ms. Fiber hugged, kissed and chatted up her guests, with a cocktail in hand, just like she did when she was a bartender at Marlow’s Tavern in Alpharetta. nearly 100 friends and family members packed into Embracing Hospice’ s Cumming location and celebrated the first 32 years, and the last days, of Ms. Fiber’s life that day.

Tuesday, three days later, Kelly Marie Fiber, of Alpharetta, died from complications brought on by cervical cancer.

A funeral service is planned for 1 p.m. Saturday at Roswell Funeral Home, which is also in charge of arrangements.

Ms. Fiber moved to Atlanta seven years ago from Medina, Ohio, where she spent most of her youth. She needed a change of scenery, said her fiancé Eddie “Shane” Freeman.

“things weren’t working out well for us in Ohio, and she had relatives down here,” he said. “She came down, and then about six months later, I came down. We got engaged last year, and were supposed to get married at the end of this year, but then she got sick so we just kinda waited to see what was going to happen.”

Ms. Fiber didn’t put off living her life, though. She continued to work at Marlow’s as long as she could. She’d been there for six years and it was more like going to see family than it was going to work.

“When she was around, people were nicer and it was a happier place, so we loved to see her,” said Stephen Nahay, general manager of the Alpharetta location. “I remember when I first started working there, I asked somebody if she was always so nice, and they said she was always like that.”

Ms. Fiber’s bubbly personality and positive attitude also caught the eye of upper management, too, mr. Nahay said.

“our owners would come around and talk about what we want to do, and how we want to create a welcoming environment,” he said. “and they’d specifically say that nobody did Marlow’s like Kelly did, because she was just perfection. She could make a first-time guest feel like they’d been there 100 times and she knew the names of the people who came in three or four times a week.”

Ms. Fiber’s perpetually sunny disposition and optimistic outlook brought joy to everyone she was around, friends and family said.

“It always felt like Kelly wanted other people to be happy,” mr. Nahay said. “It was never about her, she wanted to put a smile on your face.”

Ms. Fiber is also survived by her parents, Gregory and Michele Fiber of Loudon, Tenn.; and maternal grandmother Josephine Florio of Fremont, Ohio.

Dick Clark passed away Wednesday at the age of 82.

An entertainment icon for generations, Clark will be missed by legions of fans young and old, and in the wake of the tragic news, his celebrity brethren immediately took to the Twitterverse to express their thoughts on the loss of a legend.

Here’s a look at some stars’ statements on Clark:

Ryan Seacrest: “I am deeply saddened by the loss of my dear friend Dick Clark. He has truly been one of the greatest influences in my life.”

Joan Rivers: “Very sad to hear about Dick Clark. what a great life. what a great career. Relevant until the end. He will be missed!”

Russell Simmons: “Dick Clark was eternally young. no matter what cultural phenomenon was happening, he always embraced it. RIP…”

Rob Lowe: “Had the pleasure to work with Dick Clark when I was 15. He was charming and kind; a true American icon that will live forever.”

Brooke Burke: “So sad to hear the tragic news about Dick Clark. My thoughts & prayers go out to all who loved him.”

Anderson Cooper: “What a career Dick Clark had! what a life!”

Snoop Dogg: “REST IN PEACE to DICK CLARK!! U were a pioneer n a good man!!”

Clint Black: “We’ve lost one of the greatest men in show biz. #DickClark will be remembered with the utmost admiration and affection.”

David Boreanaz: “R.I.P. Dick Clark. New Years will never be the same.”

Fergie: “Dick Clark will be truly missed. what an American icon. we will carry on his legacy every New Year’s Eve.”

Blake Shelton: “So proud I had the chance to shake hands with Dick Clark in my lifetime… great man…”

Dane Cook: “Rest in peace Mr. Dick Clark. Thank you for new years and new years of class, positivity & entertainment.”

Roseanne Barr: “dick clark RIP – always a nice man to me.”

William Shatner: “My condolences go out to the family of Dick Clark. My best, Bill”

Chris Daughtry: “RIP Mr. Dick Clark. you will be missed!”

Seth Green: “So saddened by Dick Clark’s passing- an innovator, a legend, a man who believed in the greatness of humans. #ThankYou”

Marie Osmond: “In 1974, my first time on BandStand, I thought Dick Clark was the most handsome man in show business. in 1998, when he created and produced the Donny & Marie talk show, I realized that was truly the hardest working man in show biz. and, now in 2012, I will always remember him as one of the most honorable men in show business. Thank you, Dick, for every great way you encouraged me in my career. you are loved.”

President Barack Obama: “With ‘American Bandstand,’ he introduced decades’ worth of viewers to the music of our times. He reshaped the television landscape forever as a creative and innovative producer. and, of course, for 40 years, we welcomed him into our homes to ring in the New Year. But more important than his groundbreaking achievements was the way he made us feel — as young and vibrant and optimistic as he was. As we say a final `so long’ to Dick Clark, America’s oldest teenager, our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends — which number far more than he knew.”

Download MP3 of “The Columbine Cause” (1 of 4)Download MP3 of “The Columbine Cause” (2 of 4)Download MP3 of “The Columbine Cause” (3 of 4)Download MP3 of “The Columbine Cause” (4 of 4)“The Columbine Cause” (Flyer)“The Columbine Cause” (Trailer)Official Transcript of “The Columbine Cause”Notes to “The Columbine Cause”

“The Columbine cause: an Examination of the April 20, 1999 Attack on Columbine High School” is a feature-length video presentation based on public domain government records related to the official “investigation” of the Columbine High School shootings of April 20, 1999. It includes quotations from suspect interrogations and witness interviews as recorded in little before publicized police files, 911 recordings and other rare items.

The documents reveal that many corroborating reports from Columbine High School students, faculty and others directly conflicted with the conclusions presented in the Sheriff’s Office Final Report concerning the attack timeline, the weapons used and more:

“[Columbine High School cafeteria witness Brandi Wiseman] said that they could hear the gunmen reloading their shotguns and other guns in front of the door and then begin shooting at what she thought were the appliances in the kitchen. [...] she said that she had her watch on and that this occurred at approximately 1230 hours.”

“[Columbine High School student Kristen Schoenhoff's] two best friends were out in the senior parking lot retrieving something from one of the girls’ cars. They saw two gunmen, both of which were neither Dylan or Eric. [One of them ...] later identified one of [the gunmen] in the yearbook [...]. she looked in the back in the [Trench Coat] Mafia Dedication and found him in the picture.”

“[Columbine High School] class of 2001 and one-time [Trench Coat Mafia] member Alex Marsh said she left the group in about December of ’98 because of their propensity for violence. Specifically, Marsh told classmates that she knew of the attack having been planned since at least that time, and was overheard stating that if she hadn’t left the group, she probably would have been in on it with them.”

Were these discrepancies merely the result of chaos and confusion or did the witnesses experience something very different than the authorities presented as their findings? with “The Columbine cause,” you can listen to some of those who were at the scene and inform yourself more fully about what happened before, during and after this most infamous of school shootings.

“very good movie. Raises quite a few questions that need to be answered.” – Verthik

“Great stuff! I am absolutely convinced those 2 did not act alone.” – Domenick DiMaggio CIT

“Thank you Evan Long for your efforts to publicize the Columbine story, and for spreading the truth to a wider audience. The Columbine cause lives!” – Starviego

To purchase “The Columbine cause,” please consult the sidebar at right.