Tag: vaccinations

Categories
Books [email protected]

Tips for a Happy Toddler, a Toddler Bucket List #Blogust #TBT

Toddlers. Some of the cutest people on the planet. And also some of the most terrible. Within seconds toddlers can be loving, friendly, angry and back to loving again. There’s just no understanding what will set them off to crying or laughing.

But we love toddlers and we want to take care of them and make sure they’re happy. I’ve created a toddler bucket list; a list of items that toddlers need to keep them happy and safe.

 

ToddlerBucket List

I suspect that toddlers are similar all over the world. Take a look at the photos above. Do you know what is similar in both photos? Both children would benefit from  Toddler Bucket List. And who doesn’t want a happy toddler? It doesn’t matter whether children live across the globe or across time.The photo on top is me, the little fellow on the bottom pic is my first born, my #1 son. Ya know what we have in common, right? Vaccines.

Vaccines are important to children everywhere. Toddlers can’t grow up to be Unconventional Librarians or big brothers if they don’t get all the vaccines they need. No matter where or when they live, toddlers need vaccines. Help me make sure that toddlers everywhere live long enough to laugh, cry, and have everything they need on the Toddler Bucket list by supporting [email protected] this Blogust.

 

 

Categories
resources

I’m talking kids, books, & diarrhea on Capitol Hill with [email protected]

If you’re new here, you might not know that I LOVE to talk about diarrhea.

IMG_20160302_101037

Thanks to my volunteer work with [email protected], I am able to help future little readers all over the globe grow up to be healthy readers.  In the photo above, I talk to new [email protected] champions about how to find their platform by looking inside themselves and seeing where their passion lies. Turns out, mine happened when my toddler became dehydrated from a case of rotavirus and we had to take him to the ER. Twenty three years later, he is a grown man, all because we had access to health care. But there are many mothers who don’t have access to care for their infants. And that knowledge hurt me. In all my inexperience raising my first child, I knew one thing: when all else fails, call a doctor. A doctor is just a 10 minute car ride away.

ea043eba7bd645213ca0f94661496e2a6f8018f5Shot@LifeMozambiqueImage3

But as I learned through [email protected], a doctor visit is often 3 miles away. On foot. In the heat. That knowledge tore me up.  No child should die from dehydration caused by diarrhea and the rotavirus. That’s why I love to talk about diarrhea; I want everyone to have the same options I do. And so I will discuss diarrhea with anyone who will listen. Children who are sick can’t read.

Thanks to [email protected] I can make a difference.

shot_at_life_badge_300x250

Ask me how you can too.

 

Categories
[email protected]

It’s Champion #ShotatLife Day in #Blogust!

During [email protected]’s #Blogust 2015—a month-long blog relay—some of North America’s most beloved online writers, photo and video bloggers and [email protected] Champions will come together and share inspirational quotes for their children. Every time you comment on this post and other #Blogust contributions, or take action using the social media on this website, [email protected] and the United Nations Foundation pages, one vaccine will be donated to a child around the world (up to 50,000).

I’m sharing some quotes on Pinterest. Check them out. Here’s a sneak peak:

Blogustvax2puzzle

Pop over to my [email protected] Board on Pinterest (click the pic) to see a bigger puzzle piece and be inspired!

Categories
Books [email protected]

World Polio Day #endpolio

Every year, World Polio Day provides an opportunity to recognize the importance of polio eradication efforts. Every October 24, success stories in the fight against polio are highlighted to encourage worldwide support in the movement to end polio.

With your support, we can #endpolio once and for all.

endpolioforever

We’re this close.

endpolioCOMIC

 

 

 

Categories
[email protected]

Give a Child a Shot @ Tea Parties #VaccinesWork

Tea Party Thanks

Think about it. Twenty bucks (20!) can provide a lifetime of vaccines for a child in another country who might die from disease otherwise. That’s four children who can now have a shot at reading a book or attending a tea party!

If you’ve donated, thanks! If you haven’t, think about it?

ea043eba7bd645213ca0f94661496e2a6f8018f5Shot@LifeMozambiqueImage3

Categories
Books [email protected]

Looking Back at my Kids’ Vax Schedule #Blogust

All this month of Blogust, the [email protected] Champions have been talking about vaccines, which is a great way to get your littles (or not so littles) ready for school.  Many of my little friends have already started school which made me think back to the days when my littles were little.  As you know, I collect information and I’ve kept all of my babies’ shot records! I dug them up out o f the file and leafed through them with a cup of coffee. How fun it was to see my Pumpkin’s weight when she was 3 weeks old and how wonderful it is to know that even my firstborn, my #1 son, got all of his shots on time. As a new mother, I wanted to do everything perfectly and right so I adhered to the vaccination schedule like a BOSS.

My littles are now 22 and 17 and my Pumpkin is entering her last year of high school.  How did that happen? Let’s take a minute to remember that many children all around the globe don’t make it to high school. And that hurts my feelings.

As a brief reminder of the importance of vaccines and Blogust, here’s a collage to remind you of some of the highlights of my month.

vaccineCollage

What’s inside: A visit to Dr. Offit’s office, the inventor of the Rotateq vaccine, against the yucky rotavirus. A pic of my kids’ shot records from when we lived in Texas, and a pic of my littles on the first day of school, circa 2003.

Are you a hoarder, er collector like me? Do you still have all of your kids’ vaccine records? If so, why?

Categories
Books Children [email protected]

An Unconventional Librarian at the Hospital: A Visit to Dr. Offit’s Office #Blogust

Recently a group of [email protected] champions and I got the chance to visit with Dr. Paul Offit at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP).  Who is Dr. Offit, you ask? He’s a doctor who has written the book, Autism’s False Prophets, which discusses the history of vaccines and why they are necessary and that they do not cause autism.

Autism's False Prophets
Cleo helping me read Autism’s False Prophets

 

The other cool thing about Dr. Offit? He helped invent the Rotatek vaccine! Yep, the very vaccine that your little ones get to help prevent the nasty ugly Rotavirus vaccine. Did you know that dehydration caused from diarrhea kills many of our littles around the world? Giving babies the Rotavirus vaccine helps save lives and I was thrilled to be able to meet Dr. Offit.

During our visit, we chatted about the state of vaccinations and what can be done about getting the word out to more people about getting vaccinated. I was amazed that he wanted to hear about us and our thoughts; who knew someone so smart and passionate about child health could be so friendly?

After our chat we personally took us on a tour of CHOP, showed us some labs with real petrie dishes (see? I did pay attention in 9th grade physics) and lab technicians, and showed us his office.

Here’s a collage of our visit.

CHOPVISITCollage

This is just a small portion of our day! Stay tuned for more about this FABULOUS day!

I wanted to wear my lab coat but my kids said NO but I thought it lended a sort of Patch Adams feel.  I later found out that there is a library INSIDE CHOP! More about that later…

 

 

Categories
[email protected]

This #Blogust, Keep my Fave Readers Healthy; Get Vaccinated!

#blogust

 

During [email protected]’s Blogust 2014—a month-long blog relay—some of North America’s most beloved online writers, photo and video bloggers and [email protected] Champions will come together and share stories about Happy and Healthy Firsts. Every time you comment on this post and other Blogust contributions, or share them via social media on this website, [email protected] and the United Nations Foundation pages, Walgreens will donate one vaccine (up to 60,000).  Blogust is one part an overall commitment of Walgreens donating up to $1 million through its “Get a Shot. Give a Shot .®” campaign. The campaign will help provide millions of vaccines for children in need around the world.

Any guess who one of those Champions might be?

shotatlifesummit.jpg

Please keep my littles healthy so they can grow into readers!

Capitol Pamshotatreading

 

 

 

 

Sign up here for a daily email so you can quickly and easily comment and share every day during Blogust! For more information, visit shotatlife.org or join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter.

 

Categories
[email protected]

This #Blogust, Give your Little One a Chance to be a Princess or a Pirate

Blogust_Lockup_Horizontal

 

Does your little girl dream of being a Princess? Does your little guy fancy himself a pirate? Do they love to play dress up with their friends for parties?

So do I. In fact, when I’m not reviewing books, I host literature tea parties! We’ve done Fancy Nancy, Olivia, and so many Frozen parties I’ve lost track!  In August aka Blogust, we’re hosting a Fairy Tale party and the proceeds are going to go to [email protected]

Enchated Woodland.jpg.jpg

Why are we doing this? Because some kids don’t get vaccinated and as a result, they get sick and some even die. They never get a chance to dream about being princesses or knights or pirates or IronMan; and that makes me sad.  Why not have a party where everyone can dress up, play make believe and help other kids in the process?

It’s win-win, right?

Here’s the link if you’d like to attend the party or donate a ticket for someone:

Eventbrite - Enchanted Woodland Tea Party benefitting Shot@Life

 

This #Blogust, give a kid a chance to pretend to be a princess or a pirate. Give a kid a shot at life of being a kid.  For every comment or blog post shared at the [email protected] website, Walgreens will donate 1 vaccine.  1 comment = 1 vaccine.

Categories
[email protected]

It’s #Blogust! How Are you Keeping My Littles Healthy?

As a [email protected] Champion, I’m keen on making sure all my littles stay healthy. Why? Because I don’t have littles of my own anymore, all the other little kiddies in the world belong to me, now. And because I am so concerned with all my littles, I want to keep them healthy so they can continue to enjoy good books.  After all, my fave saying is, a child who is sick can’t read.  How can you enjoy reading when you’re sick and dying?  You can’t. That’s why it’s up to us grown ups who are in charge of our littles to make sure they get the best care possible.

And how do you do that?

Vaccinations.

#blogust

Look at those sweet little faces? Don’t you want to just squeeze them?

That’s why they invented #Blogust. To remind everyone that there is still time to protect children.

Get on the band wagon. Vaccinate your kids. If you’re behind on vaccines, do it now.

Spread the love of good health for the kiddos. Spread the message about #Blogust and let everyone know you’re a supporter. Take to social media and tell the world!

1 comment or 1 share = 1 vaccine.

The world listens.

And so do I.

IMG_2928

Don’t make me come get you. Tell me how you are keeping our littles healthy this summer!