At Little Rock Mamas, we like to celebrate other great bloggers. Some of them are our friends and coworkers, while others are just fabulous bloggers we like reading. We hope you enjoy our guest posters as much as we do.
Posted by admin on May 13, 2013 in guest post, Health | Comments Off
A Great Time to Plan Your Next Vision Exam
Managing your eye health is particularly important because women are more likely than men to have glaucoma and cataracts. We even suffer from dry eye more often, usually due to hormonal changes such as pregnancy and menopause.
EYE EXAM SCHEDULE
In Your 20s
Healthy eyes and good vision: Get an exam once during your 20s*
In Your 30s
Healthy eyes and good vision: Get an exam twice in your 30s*
In Your 40s
Get a baseline exam to detect disease or impairment when you turn 40.
Follow up exams per doctor instruction.
*Unless you have contacts, experience pain or have an infection.
Here’s to your eye health!
Dr. Lydia Lane with Little Rock Eye Clinic is board certified in ophthalmology by the American Academy of Ophthalmology. She enjoys spending time with her twin sons, Caleb and Taylor, as well as boating, hiking and making candles.
Posted by admin on Apr 18, 2013 in guest blogs, guest post | Comments Off
Not many people can say that they look forward to getting up for work in the morning… and I’m probably one of those people. I really hate getting out of bed in the morning, regardless of the reason. But honestly, I couldn’t possibly love my job any more than I do! I love going to work every day and am so blessed to work with some of the most fun things on the planet!
I really do work with some of the most talented people on the planet at ARG.
I’m definitely the baby at our office. I’m only 23 years old… and it hasn’t even been a year since I graduated from college! Told you… blessed! The summer before my senior year of college (studying Journalism at Arkansas Tech University), I got an internship at KATV Channel 7 in Little Rock. My internship was only six weeks, and I had so much fun! Before my internship was over, they offered me a job as a production assistant! I was thrilled, but also kind of terrified. I still had a year left in school, plus I lived in Russellville, over an hour away! But I couldn’t say no!
I started off working evenings at KATV… the normal 1:30-10:30 PM shift. It was great! I got to help with the 5, 6 and 10 o’clock news. I learned so much. It was great being able to apply what I was learning in class to my actual job in the news world! Not too long after I started, I got moved to mornings to help produce the morning show. But “morning” is a relative term. When I was getting up for work, most of my college friends were still out partying. I had to be at work at 3 AM, and usually got up around 12:30 AM to get ready (I still lived in Russellville). It sounds awful, and in hindsight… it was. But it was an amazing job and I got to work with wonderful people every day. Despite the lack of sleep, I loved it!
While working at KATV, I got to book guests for Daybreak and the Saturday morning show, Saturday Daybreak. It was great because I got to meet so many different people. One of those amazing people I had the pleasure of meeting is my current boss,
Angela Rogers. Angela did the public relations for Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus, Disney on Ice, Cirque du Soleil, Little Rock Convention and Visitors’ Bureau, and tons of other fun things! I always thought “Man! She has the best job EVER!”.
After working with Angela for a while, I realized that public relations was really what I wanted to do. Kind of cheesy right? She really inspired me to change my career path, and she gave me the opportunity to do that. Again… blessed. I’ll spare you all the details, but coming to the Angela Rogers Group has been so amazing for me. I’m so happy that I get to do something that I love every single day, and it’s always something different!
I’ve only been at Angela Rogers Group (ARG) since December, but in that short amount of time I’ve had a huge hand in working with Monster Jam, Cirque du Soleil, Disney on Ice and Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
Monster Jam was AMAZING. Sounds like only guys or kids would really get it, right? Wrong. I do have to say, I am a drag racer (a legal one… with a race car and all), so I may be a little biased, but it was so much fun! These trucks are HUGE and so powerful! And when they jump cars and fly in the air, or do ten billion donuts, my heart just stops. It was amazing to get to interact with the drivers and see all of the behind-the-scenes aspects and what goes into the show.
One of the most incredible things I’ve seen at my time in ARG – or in my life period – was Cirque du Soleil. If you haven’t seen one of those shows, you HAVE to see the next one that comes to town. It is truly amazing! They do things you never thought were possible- and they make it look EASY! But trust me, it’s not. One of the aerial hoop artists was showing off her tricks on television one morning, so after the show I asked if she could teach me. It looked SO easy. I had bruises for a week, and I didn’t even do it correctly! They’re breathtaking! And all of the performers are so unique. They’re from dozens of countries all over the world. So much culture. It was amazing.
Right now I’m working on
Disney on Ice presents Dare to Dream. They’re coming to town next week. I can’t believe how fast time flies. I haven’t seen a Disney on Ice show since I was a toddler, so honestly… the princess inside me can’t wait to see them strut their stuff on the ice. I’m also currently working on Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus. They have a big show in Little Rock AND Jonesboro coming up in June. Again, I haven’t seen the circus since I was very young, so I’m really excited about this. I really hope they let me ride an elephant. How cool would that be?
I’m also currently working with the Little Rock Farmers’ Market. It’s opening up April 30. April is a crazy busy month for us if you can’t tell. I can’t wait to get to meet all the local farmers, and hopefully taste some yummy, fresh produce! And have you met Dean the Bean? He’s the “mascot” of the Farmers’ Market. I recently learned the difficulty of transporting Dean. He barely fits in your car. I really would like to stick him out of my sunroof and drive around the River Market on Farmers’ Market days. I think it’d be fun, don’t you?
Public Relations is my main responsibility at ARG, but that’s not all we do! We’re also your go-to group for association management, conference planning and website design. We have had one huge conference already this month, and we’re preparing for another big one at the end of the month. April is crazy!
I really do work with some of the most talented people on the planet at ARG. And we can do pretty much anything you can imagine — from public relations for one of the world’s largest shows or just helping mascot’s get dressed at the Farmers’ Market, we do it all! And I really do love it.
Stop by our office and see us sometime! We promise you’ll have fun!
Posted by admin on Mar 27, 2013 in body image, Book Nook, guest blogs, guest post | 2 comments
There are apparently two camps when it comes to Peter, Paul and Mary’s 1963 folk song “Puff the Magic Dragon”: those who find it a sentimental journey back to their most innocent moments of childhood, and those who maintain that the song has always been a veiled musical ode to marijuana and is therefore not child-appropriate.
Enjoyment of the storybook version, released in time for the original recording’s 50th anniversary, hinges partly on those preconceived views of the song. (Though I’d heard the song countless times growing up, I had managed to avoid developing strong feelings about it either way.)
More important, though, is one’s comfort with either unmelodiously reading aloud words that are clearly meant to be sung, or bellowing the folk song for what feels like an dragon’s lifetime. Incidentally, the book advises us, dragons are immortal.
“Written” by Peter Yarrow and Leonard Lipton, the late ’50s Cornell University student whose poem formed the basis of the song, the book consists of the just song’s lyrics.
There’s no embellishment beyond that.
Want to know more about Puff’s relationship with little Jackie Paper (yes, that’s really the kid’s name), aside from their mutual penchant for frolicking in the autumn mist in a land called Honalee? Me, too, but apparently I’ll have to invent those stories myself.
I tested out the board-book version on my 10-month-old, Vivian, who has developed a strong affection for books, mostly gnawing them and flinging them off her bookshelf into a great pile.
The highlights of our impressions:
• Ooh, pretty!: We loved the gorgeous illustrations by painter Eric Puybaret. Puff sure looks like a sweet friend to have. Not at all like a “Reefer Madness” dopefiend, mind you.
• Mmm, delicious! The board book is the perfect size and durability for an infant to hold, throw, chew, pull at, and dampen with teething drool.
• Um, is that the whole story?: It seems like 70 percent of this book is chorus. By the time it rolled around the third time or so, I was tempted to start singing, “We established these facts already, la la la la laaaaa!”
• Oops! Where’s my attention span?! Little Vivi grew awfully squirmy on Mommy’s lap
• Ohhh, where’d my voice go?: I sing constantly to my bambina, but something about vocalizing this “book” left my me temporarily sounding like a cigarette-ravaged celebutante. It’s long, I tell you. The hardcover editions come with a CD, which I think would help to preserve weary parents’ larynxes.
Bottom line: With all apologies to Peter (not to mention Paul, Mary and Leonard), this song just doesn’t quite work as a book.
- Review by Katie Doherty
Vivi isn’t sure what to think of the book.
Posted by admin on Mar 11, 2013 in guest blogs, guest post | Comments Off
Little Rock Mamas is proud to present (insert drum roll)
Angie Davis Photography March Special:
All Family Sessions, Senior Sessions, Engagement Sessions, Boudoir Session, Bridal Sessions, and Weddings…YES! I said Weddings!…that are booked in March will receive a $100 Print Credit!!!! In order to receive the $100 Print Credit you must pay your session fee/deposit in the month of March. PLUS, if they say that you referred them you could ALSO earn a$25 or $50 Gift Certificate to ADP!!
Who is Angie?
Angie is the owner of Angie Davis Photography. She is married to Brian, who is the VP, Bookkeeper, and proudly refers to himself as “Pack Mule” of Angie Davis Photography. They have a teenage son, Dallas, who is the cutest, funniest kid they have ever met, 3 dogs, and 12 chickens. Life is fun at Camp Davis, needless to say!
Not only is Angie a ROCKIN’ photographer. She is a dear friend to Little Rock Mamas and we love her.
Orange You Lovely?
Photo by Angie Davis
Posted by Granny Geek on Jan 24, 2013 in Granny Geek, guest blogs, guest post | 1 comment
A fun thing to do with chalk is to outline your child on a hard surface outside, then let them help you color it in. Then have them outline you (even if they’re young and it looks crazy like ours does!) and again, color it in, drawing in the face as well!
This is how it turned out me and Ethan:
Posted by admin on Jan 19, 2013 in guest blogs, guest post | 2 comments
Submitted by Amy Thompson, Little Rock Mamas friend and follower.
Tonight my family and I attended the Advanced Auto Parts Monster Jam at Verizon Arena. My husband and I picked our daughter Mallory up from dance and headed straight to the show. We got an order of nachos, a couple of drinks and headed to our seats. Our seats were on the lower bowl on row 17. We had great seats. We had a good view of all of the action.
There were about 6 trucks tonight. We saw Fullboar, Nitemare, Fatal Attraction, Incinerator, Grave Digger and Mallory’s favorite, Monster Mutt. She loves Monster Mutt because he looks like a huge dog with ears and a tail that flop in the air during his stunts.
Mal’s favorite – Monster Mutt!
The show basically consists of very large trucks driving around the arena and performing various stunts that include driving over demolished cars, revving their engines very loud, doing donuts and a championship competition. It is really neat to see the trucks as they appear to bounce over the demolished cars. The show is really a competition. So you get to see each truck and what it can do. At each round of competition there is a winner declared. In between the main events there are other events to keep you occupied.
Tonight they had BMX ramp performances and mini motocross stunt riders.
Monster Mutt held the lead on the donut competition until Fullboar pulled it out at the end and won the donut competition. Grave Digger was the leader of the night winning the time trial and the overall freestyle.
Grave Digger!
The trucks are very loud when they are performing a lot of their stunts. You do want to make sure you and especially your children have proper ear protection. We stopped by a local sporting goods store and picked up 3 pairs of ear plugs for around $5. They worked great. I would be mindful though of the age of your child. The noise, even though, it is not constant, it can be loud and overwhelming to small children. We did see where they were selling ear plugs at the event for $2 a pair.
Also at the event were a variety of officially licensed merchandise available which included t-shirts, souvenir cups, ball caps, stuffed toys, pennants and programs. They were priced anywhere from $10 to $35. Mallory got a stuffed truck of Monster Mutt for $20.
Immediately after the event the drivers are available for free autographs. We got up as soon as the event ended and headed to the area by section 111 to line up for the autograph session. There is a roped off area where a line forms. We ended up being the 4th family in line. Once the line gets started moving, it moves pretty smoothly. There is an exit at the end of the autograph line.
Mal and Monster getting her Monster Mutt Truck signed by the driver.
Overall this was a very enjoyable, fun, exciting evening for our family. There was something for everyone. If you are looking for something to do this Saturday night, we would suggest you catch the Monster Jam show at Verizon Arena.
Posted by admin on Jan 9, 2013 in guest post | Comments Off
This month you’ll get your child’s first semester progress report and will likely sit down for a parent-teacher conference. To use a sports analogy, January is your child’s academic halftime. Now you can see where your child is in terms of reaching certain goals and can adjust accordingly to meet those goals by the school year’s end.
Is your child struggling in a certain subject or having difficulty mastering certain study skills? Huntington Learning Center can help. Because now is a crucial time for students to get back on track, Huntington is offering Little Rock Mamas followers a special discount now through Jan. 31. Call (501) 223-2299 and use the special whisper code below to save $75.
WHISPER CODE: Magnet
http://huntingtonhelps.com
Posted by admin on Dec 13, 2012 in guest post, holidays | Comments Off
Tickets to the annual Arkansas Flower and Garden Show make a great stocking stuffer for that gardener in your life. And if you buy tickets online NOW at argardenshow.org, you will be automatically entered in the show’s holiday giveaway!
On Wednesday, Dec. 19, they will draw One Grand Prize winner who will receive a beautiful gift basket from Botanica Gardens valued at $250.
On Wednesday, Jan. 5, they will draw three additional winners who will each receive $100 gift certificates to Botanica Gardens that can be used anytime in 2013.
The Arkansas Flower and Garden Show is Feb. 22 – 24.
Posted by admin on Dec 2, 2012 in guest blogs | 3 comments
Do you have money left in your Health Savings Account or Flexible Spending Account that you need to spend before the end of the year? One smart way to use these leftover funds is to replace your children’s eyeglass frames or your own! You can make an appointment now with
Little Rock Eye Clinic.
the stylish Lilly Pulitzer
the sporty RayBan
the kickin’ Marchon Nike
If you purchase new frames before Dec. 31, 2012, you’ll get 20% off when you use the exclusive whisper code for LittleRock Mamas followers: framing youth
Posted by admin on Nov 26, 2012 in guest blogs | Comments Off
When kids go back to school after holiday break, they also go back to carrying backpacks. More than 79 million students in the United States carry backpacks. And, unfortunately, many of them are carrying backpacks that are too heavy or are carrying them incorrectly, resulting in back pain or injury. In fact, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 2,000 backpack-related injuries were treated at hospital emergency rooms, doctor’s offices and clinics in 2007.
Here are some tips to help your child avoid back pain.
TIP #1: Find the Right Backpack
It’s important to find backpacks that ….
- Are lightweight (canvas vs leather)
- Have adjustable shoulder straps that are 2 inches wide and padded
- Have a padded back and hip strap, waist belt or frame
TIP #2: Lighten the Load
A backpack should never weigh more than 10% of the student’s body weight. When a backpack is too heavy, the body tries to compensate, which can cause strain on the spine.
TIP#3: Pack it Right
When you or your child is packing a backpack be sure to…
- Put in the heaviest objects first so they are carried lower and closest to the body
- Fill compartments so the load is evenly distributed
- Carry only those books needed
- Clean out backpack at least once a week
TIP#4: Carry it Right
This is probably the most important tip. All too often, children carry backpacks too low on their backs, which can cause strain.
- Adjust straps so the backpack fits snugly to the body
- The bottom of the backpack should be 2 inches above the waist
- Don’t carry it over one shoulder
- Don’t lean forward when walking, this might mean it’s too heavy
Hopefully these tips can help your child avoid back pain. But if they are suffering from pain, children can see a chiropractor too. During the early years and all throughout childhood you have your child’s eyes checked, ears checked, and their teeth checked for any signs of abnormal structure and function. Why not have their spine checked too?
Your child’s spine is literally the backbone for the overall health of their young bodies. Unfortunately, many parents have not been made aware of the necessity to schedule periodic spinal check-ups. Feel free to contact me if you have questions about chiropractic care and children.
——————–
Guest blogger Dr. Jessica Dziurkowski, D.C., owns
Precision Chiropractic & Wellness in Little Rock and is an active member of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association. She may be reached at
doctor@chiropracticlr.com or by calling 501-868-3500. Dr. Jessica resides in Little Rock with her husband Nicholas and their dog, Kona. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, photography, fishing, hunting and traveling.
Little Rock Mamas is proud to present (insert drum roll)
