DC Area Nannies

Stir It Up ... Oven Fried Drumsticks

2011-11-18T07:54:00.000-08:00

Oven Fried Drumsticks

Ingredients:

¼ cup vegetable oil

½ cup all-purpose baking mix

1 Tablespoon paprika

2 teaspoons Creole Seasoning (hint below)

1 teaspoon seasoned salt

½ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon Italian seasoning

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

10 chicken drumsticks

Step by step

Preheat oven to 450*. Pour the vegetable oil evenly over bottom of 15- x 10- x 1 inch baking pan.

Combine the baking mix, paprika, Creole seasoning, seasoned salt, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and black pepper in a large bowl. Mix well. Pour into a paper bag.

Add the chicken drumsticks, a few at a time, to the bag and shake to coat. Arrange on the prepared baking pan.

Bake chicken, turning once, until juices run clear when pierced with the tip of a knife, about 30 minutes.

Transfer to a serving dish. Serve immediately.

Spice secret… Creole seasoning contains black pepper, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, oregano and sometimes thyme and paprika, most of which are found in the other seasonings in this recipe.
If you prefer not to purchase a separate jar of Creole seasoning, slightly increase the amounts of the other seasonings.

This recipe I got off a Great American Home Baking card.

Enjoy!

Debra Phiri

ADCAN nannies attend Nannypalooza 2011

2011-11-17T09:11:00.000-08:00

Here's what a few of our members had to say about attending the event ...

I really enjoyed attending the Nannypalooza weekend. It was a great benefit and lots of amazing information for nannies and moms too! I really liked the play workshop. It was great reconnecting with old friends and making new ones too. I am so glad to still be a part of ADCAN! Thank you all for allowing me to stay involved in such a great organization.

I would definitely try and attend another Nannypalooza weekend in the future. I found it overall a great opportunity for all nannies to stay educated and connected to our amazing field.

Thanks!!

Lisa Holzbach Webb

Nannypalooza is always a great conference. Sue Downey and her helpers manage to get a good choice of speakers. One session that helped me was “Learning all about Learning Styles” with Joy Lesnick, Ph.D. She presented three basic learning styles: visual, auditory and kinesthetic. The group discussed helping children or students using four scenarios. Suggestions were given for each kind of learner. “Book Chat with Children’s Book Author and Blogger” with Julie Sternberg was also quite enjoyable. I may be biased a bit, because I recently left a long term job, and she wrote a book about a child whose nanny has left. The book is LIKE PICKLE JUICE ON A COOKIE. Julie also read from several children’s books and made some very good suggestions to get kids engaged in reading.

Nannypalooza does a good job educating nannies, but as always the best part for me is the networking. I made some important new contacts with agency owners. I reconnected with nannies from around the country that I know through going to conferences over the years. The conference gives me a great feeling of professionalism. The weekend is uplifting and highly motivating. All nannies should attend whenever possible .

Sue Krzos

Nannypalooza was a lot of fun this year. There were many good choices for workshops. I really enjoyed three workshops. The first being The over Programmed Child: Making Time to Play with Carolyn Stulberg. She enthusiastically discussed how important play time is for children. Later in the day I attended ‘Why Do They Do That?' What We Now Know About Developing Healthy Brains with Linda Lomabdo Ph.D. This unwittingly went hand-in-hand with aforementioned workshop. It discussed why play time, nurturing, and encouraging children are important for a developing brain.

Creative Tools to Teach Kids about Healthy Food with Debra Dennis of HealthyNannies4HealthyKids was the third session I enjoyed. It is important to teach kids to eat healthy. It is just as important for nannies to model this behavior.

And as always I have a blast seeing friends and making new ones!

Angela Jackson

NNRW and ADCAN Brunch ~ September 2011

2011-11-16T09:02:00.001-08:00

NNRW and ADCAN Brunch

We had a great time at B. smith’s restaurant on

Sunday September 18^th 2011.

Thank you to all who could make it :

Kellie Geres, Suzanne Herrick, Nidia Cubilla, Melissa Doran, Michele Greene, Joanne Garrelts, Sue Krzos, Angela Jackson, Alice Shaffer, Dominique Jordan, Taylor Augustine and Debra Phiri.

We played a couple of games and had a lot of time to socialize and catch up!

All in all a fantastic way to spend a few hours.

To those who couldn’t make it, we hope to see you soon at other ADCAN events and meetings...

We missed you.

DEMA ~ Domestic Estate Managers Association

2011-10-29T16:50:00.001-07:00

Reprinted with Permission Regarding Nannies

This week, we continue our series on Professional Organizations. Part of being a professional in any industry is being a member of an organization that serves your industry. Teachers, doctors, plumbers, firefighters, police – all have trade associations dedicated to their professions. This industry is fortunate to have three organizations dedicated to serving the professionals of the in-home child care industry. Diverse in services and history, yet united together by the individuals who support and manage these organizations. Regarding Nannies will feature each of these three organizations – APNA, DEMA and INA. We encourage you to get to know these organizations, consider membership in one or more and become involved with those that serve and our industry. The newest association to provide services to our industry is the Domestic Estate Managers Association. We asked Matthew Haack and Michael Wright, co-founders to give us a history lesson of DEMA and share with us the vision for their organization and members.

The Domestic Estate Managers Association is a worldwide educational association for the Private Service Community. DEMA was founded in 2007 and is based out of Southeast Michigan in the United States. The Domestic Estate Managers Association was created to provide a forum for Private Service Professionals and certified service vendors interested in better serving and protecting the best interests of their clients. The fundamental purpose of the association is to raise industry standards. Our members have access to local chapter meetings, educational materials, webinars and a network of individuals striving to make a difference in the industry.

By providing the Private Service Community with invaluable resources to tackle everyday challenges we will help increase job security and empower our members to ensure they protect and preserve the estates they are involved in managing.

In a few short years DEMA is pleased to announce that our membership has grown to over 1,000 members and has expanded into over 41 states and 18 countries! In addition our Service Provider Network is host to companies in 10 states and Canada.

Based in Grosse Pointe, MI, the Domestic Estate Managers Association serves the needs of our membership. Each DEMA Chapter is run by a local, volunteer Board of Directors made up of Private Service Professionals. Our leadership teams are led by the DEMA National President and Vice President. DEMA National is responsible for conducting the business of the association and implementing strategies to achieve the objectives defined by our mission statement. DEMA National sets the strategic focus, aligns staff & volunteers and all of the association's resources to achieve the desired outcomes of our members.

President, Co-Founder

Matthew Haack

Mr. Haack has been the driving force behind the Domestic Estate Managers Association from the start of our inception in early 2007. His vision for raising standards in all lines of service has been the main focus in his passion for serving those in Private Service.

Prior to founding DEMA, Matthew was the General Manager of a high-end cleaning company in Southeast Michigan that exclusively serviced estate homes in which he had many clients that were from Private Service. Previously, he had held multiple executive level management positions in a retail corporate setting. His track record of management has been instrumental in the success of the Domestic Estate Managers Association thus far.

Mr. Haack also served our country in the United States Marine Corps and graduated from Northwood University with a degree in Business Management.

Vice President, Co-Founder

Michael Wright

Mr. Wright has served the Domestic Estate Managers Association from the beginning and has overseen the development of systems in order to carry out our member's mission and vision. His joy of connecting people in such an isolated and private industry has been his main passion for serving those in Private Service.

Prior to founding DEMA, Michael was the Director of Marketing and worked alongside Mr. Haack at the same high-end cleaning company in Southeast Michigan. Previously, he had held sales positions in Corporate America and had worked for many years in construction. His past experience in servicing HNW clients in the residential and commercial construction industry has been very valuable in communicating with our membership.

Mr. Wright has also participated in and served on Board of Directors in multiple associations for different professions of management.

The Domestic Estate Managers Association currently has ten local chapters that meet on a monthly basis in California, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Texas and Washington D.C. These chapters could not operate without the support of our Board of Directors who volunteer their time and efforts in each local area. Each board is made up of different professions within the Private Service Industry.

We have six membership categories: Private Service Professionals, Principals, Service Providers (vendors), Affiliates (typically worldwide and nationwide product and supplier companies), Domestic Placement Agencies and Domestic Schools & Educators. Each has different requirements that can be viewed on our website.

Anyone who serves or maintains a residence can qualify to become a member of DEMA. Our Professional Members will usually have one of/or a combination of these titles: Butler, Caretaker, Domestic Couple, Elder Caregiver, Enlisted Aides, Estate Manager, Household Manager, Houseman, Housekeeper, Major Domo, Nanny, Personal Assistant, Private/Personal Chef, Private Jet Staff , Property Manager and Yacht Crew. Furthermore, anyone who is currently seeking to become a Private Service Professional may join under this membership category.

There are many things that make DEMA unique, but here are a few:

We CARE & listen to our members. DEMA is in constant communication with them by phone, email and monthly meetings. (Example, DEMA reps call all new members within the first 48 hours after they join to welcome them to the association and see how we might be able to help them)
We are the only organization for Private Service that is committed to having a platform for our members to network face to face on a monthly basis.
We encourage all the different people and companies that are involved with PSPs to join and become involved in the association.
Our character and integrity are second to none.

In a few short years DEMA is pleased to announce that our membership has grown to over 1,000 members and has expanded into over 41 states and 18 countries! In addition our Service Provider Network is host to companies in 10 states and Canada.

The reasons for people to join associations will be different for each person, please visit our website to view membership benefits for each membership category. Here are a few examples that are all focused on giving our members education in many different areas:

Exclusive online resources

Webinars, Article Library, Video Library, newsletters and surveys

Networking opportunities

Private Social Network only on our site
Monthly educational meetings

Conferences and seminars

DEMA Townhall Meetings that cover a variety of topics.

Support systems

Online forums
Private online Groups specific to each membership category
Career Center with agency member job postings

The new DEMA website launches June 15^th!!! Private Service dues are only $50 per year.

Domestic Estate Managers Association Mission Statement:

DEMA and our members have a mission to develop and provide a transparent platform of consistent standards, continuing education, networking opportunities and an attitude of cooperation in a unique and dynamic profession. All the while, serving and providing services to our Principal Employers to the highest standards available within and outside of this association.

All of our members choose to operate with INTEGRITY, TRUST, CONFIDENTIALTY AND MUTUAL RESPECT as their foundational cornerstones toward service. Furthermore, we are motivated by an attitude of service that is driven by these cornerstones and Professional/ Personal Relationships, Lawful Behavior, Dedication, Continuing Education, Personal Development and Mentorship with each other.

Domestic Estate Managers Association Vision Statement:

By becoming the largest association for Private Service Professionals in the world, our members will be able to leverage our resources to raise industry standards not only in the Domestic/ Private Service Industry, but also the standards for anyone that provides service for the most demanding clients.

Meet Marcia Hall, 2011 INA Nanny of the Year

2011-08-10T10:35:00.000-07:00

Featured Nanny … Marcia Hall, 2011 INA Nanny of the Year
By Janinne Gardner

On May 13th the International Nanny Association announced that the 2011 Nanny Of The Year was Marcia Hall. Marcia has been a nanny for almost 15 years since she graduated from the English Nanny & Governess School in 1997 when she was 19 years old.
She says, “I love being a professional nanny because I enjoy the challenge of teaching, nurturing and encouraging children while balancing managing their lives.”

As for why she decided to run for NOTY she says, “I decided to accept the nomination for Nanny of the Year in 2009 because I felt it was one more way to further my career as a nanny. Simply being nominated is a challenge and I like challenges. I accepted the nomination in 2010 and 2011 because I had many people - both nannies, employers past and present as well as other industry professionals telling me that I should go for it again. I was "suckered" into it ;) But honestly it is the greatest honor I think I could ever have as a nanny. I hope to represent the INA and professional nannies everywhere with greatness.”

In addition to the International Nanny Association she is a member of the Northshore Professional Nanny Alliance support group in Milwaukee. They participated in Nannypalooza- Nannies across America in 2010. She is also very involved in her church, Church in the City in Milwaukee, WI. In her church she has volunteered for many child related ministries over the 13 years she has been a member. She also works with Big Brothers and Big Sisters and used to be a part and work for a group on college campuses called Chi Alpha.
She currently works for a family with two children near her home of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a four year old girl and an eight year old boy. She comments, “The four year old loves to talk and is completely ready to start Kindergarten in the fall. The eight year old loves to play outside and spend time with his friends.” In addition to caring for these two wonderful children, she also cares for her own beautiful, energetic and intelligent two year old daughter, Nadia, who goes to work with her every day. She found this position through a local nanny placement agency, Perfect Match Nannies. She has been married for almost five years, they adopted their daughter when she was a day old and currently live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with their two cats, Sassy Pants & Chowder Head and their dog Allie.

She was born in Wisconsin not far from where she lives now. Her parents have since retired and now live in the northern woods of Wisconsin. “We have lots of fun visiting Grammy and Grandpa B.” Her older brother, Gene, lives in Milwaukee and gets to visit and baby sit Nadia very often.
She likes to organize her house and then re-organize it, she explains, “My husband Scott laughs that just when he figures out where everything in the kitchen, I re-organize it.” She also enjoys scrapbooking, but complains she is very behind. As a child she loved the Anne of Green Gables series and says, “I read and re-read ALL 8 of them. (Not many people know there are 8 in the series.) Lucy M Montgomery also had another series I liked Emily of New Moon. I used to think I was born in the wrong era. These days I read mostly non-fiction – if I ever get to read. A few great ones are Irresistible Revolution by Shane Claiborne and a new one is Love Wins by Rob Bell. I do love listening to the Chronicles of Narnia series on audio. My husband thinks I should know them by heart now.”

She enjoys traveling and has been to some pretty cool places: Alaska, Hawaii, Dominican Republic, England and all over the US. To this she adds, “I would have to say hands down the best vacation I have ever taken was to Costa Rica in 2006. The family I had worked with for eight years just moved there and they invited me to come out and visit them. I spent three weeks there. The first was spent with the family on the west coast of the country, which was breathtaking. I spent a lot of time on the beach that week. The second week I spent on my own in the center of the country visiting volcanoes, raging rivers, natural fed hot springs and zip-lining through the rainforest. The last week of my vacation I spent on the east of the country with my cousin and her little 1 year old boy. They moved to the Caribbean side of the country a few years earlier. It was amazing to see how in just a few short miles the customs, culture and climate could change so dramatically. My husband and I have often talked about going back.”
When asked what makes her angry she replied, “What a loaded question. Unfortunately, way too many things make me angry. The list is long. But the thing that induces anger the most in me is ingratitude. That takes many forms. It is the thing I have the least amount of patience with when it comes to dealing with children but it also greatly angers me when I see it in the world. I see ingratitude when it comes to how we humans see our place in this world and in nature. In how the most fortunate see those that are less fortunate and vice versa. I wish that every person could look at what they have in life every day and realize exactly how much there is to be grateful for. I have this problem just as much as the next person. I have a great ability to not see what I really have and instead want what is just out of my reach. I believe if every person, young and old, could wake every day, look around and see all the amazing things they do have and be thankful for them – the world would be a different place.”

National Nanny Night Out ~ The Help

2011-08-09T10:23:00.001-07:00

All area nannies are invited to the movies! Come out Saturday, Aug 13 for the release of The Help.

Metropolitan Nannies will be hosting the local DC Area National Nanny Night Out. Details can be found on their facebook page http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=251798241511988

All are welcome. Come out and meet new nannies and see a great movie!

ADCAN, Juicing and Cacao By Debra Dennis, CHHC, AADP, Indigo Lifestyle Solutions, Inc.

2011-07-02T08:05:00.000-07:00

irst things first.
Meeting everyone at this past Sunday's ADCAN gathering was certainly a great pleasure. I hope you had as much fun as I did. Your generous hearts made me feel so welcomed and I thank you all so much for your kind and thoughtful "Thank you" gift card, which will go to good use in the Natural Aisle at my local Giant!

By the way, I did some extensive research on Cacao and Caffeine. You ladies had me worried! Here's some info to chew on. There is a persistent urban legend that Chocolate contains caffeine. It would seem that this rumor is based primarily on a confusion between two similar alkaloids: Caffeine and Theobromine. Theobromine is the active ingredient in Chocolate and it occurs only in Cacao. The two stimulants are related and have a similar structures, but are very different chemicals with different properties, effects and origins. There are of course, some Chocolate products that have added caffeine, but it does not occur naturally in Chocolate.

This rumor seems to have a life of its own; it won't go away and yet most references to it are references to the urban legend itself! Amusingly, almost all of the Chocolate & caffeine references on the Internet are circular. (Follow the references through a few links sometime -- you often wind up back at the page where you began!!) It is actually quite common to see references that confuse Caffeine and Theobromine. Many people and some semi-scientific sources confuse the two. Stollwerck, for example, says in one place Chocolate contains 1.2% Theobromine and 0.2% Caffeine, but in another place it says just 1.4% Caffeine and doesn't mention Theobromine, which is obviously wrong.

There is no scientific substantiation that Chocolate contains caffeine, and a great deal of evidence that it does not. The Biochemist, (Apr/May 1993, p 15) did chemical composition tests where they specifically distinguished between Caffeine and Theobromine. They found regularly up to 1.3% by weight Theobromine in Chocolate. They also found other pharmacologically active compounds including up to 2.20% Phenylethylamine up to 1.54% Tele- methylhistamine and occasionally up to 5.82% Serotonin. They could not detect any Caffeine at all. (Full results are on the Science Page.) I have yet to see a dependable chemical reference that includes Caffeine in Chocolate. (The Merck Index, 12th Edition says that a very small amount of Caffeine is found in the hulls of the Cacao seeds, the hulls are discarded before processing.)

People seem to assume that caffeine is the only stimulant. Theobromine clearly has stimulant properties, so people reflexively attribute those effects to caffeine -- even though many of the effects are fundamentally different from caffeine. I guess they think it is easier to just say it is caffeine. I believe that many people casually refer to caffeine, when they really mean a whole class of chemicals called xanthines, of which caffeine is but one example. This is roughly equivalent to calling apes, human, because both are primates and humans are the more familiar type primate. Both are primates, but the differences are pretty obvious.

There is a similar confusion with the Andean tea Maté. Like Chocolate, Maté clearly has stimulant properties, which are obviously very different from caffeine's effects; however many people say it contains caffeine simply because it is a stimulant. Yerba Maté contains Mateine, a xanthine even more closely related to Caffeine than Theobromine. It is a simple stereo-isomer of caffeine. Mateine, like Theobromine, is not addictive.

For delicious smoothie recipes, check out Indigo Lifestyle Solutions blog.
Words of Wisdom
Fear less, hope more, eat less, chew more, whine less, breathe more, talk less, say more, hate less, love more, and good things will be yours. Swedish Proverb
Also check out Healthy Nannies 4 Healthy Kids online at www.healthynannies4healthykids.org.org to learn about this grassroots effort to bring the nanny community together for the health and well-being of not only children, but those who care for them.

ADCAN Saves you Money

2011-02-28T09:34:00.000-08:00

Our January 2011 meeting was full of money saving tips that anyone can take advantage of. A few of our members in attendance shared with us these ideas …

Sue Kzros:
Capital One bank: credit card savings with rewards you can combine. Use the points to get a Target gift card for $50 or $100. She is able to do this 2-3 times a year, also apply cash to your payments, travel points and to buy merchandise.
Food: Free samples at Whole Food & Balducci's, Free cookies at Harris Teeter, plus usually plenty of other food samples through out the store: usually the Deli, Bread ad bakery.
Giant: buy groceries for employers at Giant using your shoppers card and use it at Shell gas for .10 off for each gallon of gas.

Debra Santamore:
Savings card for frequently visited stores, free items and discounts. Bed, Bath &
Beyond coupons never expire and you can also use them at Bye Bye Baby.

Kellie Geres:
The Nook at Barnes & Noble: can loan lendable books to friends and family, Friday free downloads, one hour free read time to any book you read in the store. Plenty of books that are free or very cheap just do a search for $0.00. Philadelphia Free Library: borrow free books online.
Redbox: $1 movies if returned the next day.

Paper Back swap Swap paperbacks, hardcover and audio books, also visit sister sites to swap CD’s and DVD’s. Netflix: $8.00 unlimited through your computer, TiVo, cable providers, Wii or play stations.

Suzanne Herrick: 2011 Entertainment Book for the DC area.
Maryland/ Washington, DC
NOVA/ Washington, DC
Other locations available as well.

Alice Shaffer thefinancialnanny@gmail.com & http://www.thefinancialnanny.com/
Facebook: The Financial Nanny Fan Page
Ways to save money via group buying sites, coupons, blogs etc. Full disclosure, I will receive sometimes a monetary amount credit for a site if you use the links below to sign up for them. Also if you have others sign up under you, you will receive that credit as well. This is a great way to get items for less than the “buying” price.

Certifikid http://certifikid.com/r/WKNLjIro2 Certifikid features a single, daily, unbeatable, family value. After your purchase, you can print your Certifikid certificate directly from your online account. Certifikid deals will lead to incredible savings (often 50% or more off the retail price) on family friendly restaurants, play gyms, family entertainment and events, music classes, photo sessions, kids haircuts, baby proofing services, maternity boutiques, birthday party packages, and so much more. $5 per referral. Washington DC and Baltimore locations

Daily Dealster: http://www.dailydealster.com/ref/y3zr5h7w01 Get $10 in Daily Deal Dollars when the friend you invite makes his or her first purchase. Various deals in the community.

Dealon http://www.dealon.com/referrals/40330 The price of each deal is driven by the number of participants. The more people that join in the deal, the lower the price drops until it reaches the target price. The lowest price reached at the end of the day (midnight), is the amount everyone receives - including you. That's why we encourage you to share deals with friends by sending them your personal referral link.If someone purchases their first deal, within 72 hours after clicking your referral link, we'll add $10 to your account - good towards any DealOn purchases! National offerings. Various offerings from restaurants, health, items to salons

DealPulp http://dealpulp.com/?r=financialnanny We offer one spectacular deal a day from Monday to Friday, plus another that’s available all weekend. All of our deals can be redeemed online and nationwide, and once you’ve purchase a deal, it’s yours no matter how many other people buy it. Invite your friends to DealPulp, and not only will we give them a $5 credit to use on the site just for signing up, but we’ll give you a $5 credit once they make their first purchase.

National
Dealradar gathers the deals from the other sites. Lots of daily offers in each category. Save money on dining, spa services, sporting events and other products, services and experiences. The savings are extraordinary – sometimes as much as 90% below normal prices.

Eversave http://eversave.com/share/zYT7 They feature 50%-90% off on restaurants,
spas, local activities and online deals. It is free to get their email, and for each new friend you refer you can earn $12 in Save Rewards to use towards great deals. National deals

Gilt groupe http://www.gilt.com/invite/thefinancialnanny Each time 10 people use your Personal Invitation Link to become a Gilt member, you receive free shipping on your next order. The more members you refer, the more free shipping you earn! Gilt Groupe provides invitation-only access to highly coveted products and experiences at insider prices. Each day, Gilt offers its members a curated selection of merchandise, including apparel, accessories and lifestyle items across the women’s, men’s and children’s categories. In addition, we provide the best in home decor and entertaining essentials, along with luxury travel packages and fantastic offers on local services and experiences. Most sales start at noon ET and last only 36 hours, making Gilt.com an exclusive shopping destination for luxury at up to 70% off.

Groupon: http://www.groupon.com/r/uu1064706 various deals throughout the us and abroad. Earn $10 for every person that makes their first purchase

Ideeli www.ideeli.com/invite/thefinancialnanny get a $25 credit for each friend who buys Invite 10 friends who become ideeli buyers and you get $250 in credits to spend shopping on ideeli. limited-time sales featuring the most sought-after brands across the categories of apparel, accessories, home, beauty, travel and kids. Each event is designed by ideeli editors to offer an exclusive shopping opportunity with new brands featured each day at up to 80% off New brands are featured each day in sales starting at 12 p.m. EST. Sales last 40 hours, or until items are sold out. We also have weekly giveaways. They have a surprise start time and last 7 hours (in most cases). Our members are notified by email, Facebook and Twitter each time a new sale starts.

Jasmere http://www.jasmere.com/r/777777f7?l $10 jasmere dollars when a friend makes their first purchase. The more people buy the deal the cheaper the price.

Jetsetter http://www.jetsetter.com/invite/59766171aadc4xmh66xv Get $25 for signing up. Get $25 in Jetsetter credit when someone you invited makes their first purchase. Exclusive hand-selected vacations including 5-star hotels, once-in-a-lifetime adventures, and weekend getaways. Each trip is Jetsetter Verified, which means we have personally visited and certified that the experience meets our standards.

KGBdeals http://40e05b72-ab43-11df-ac32-40400268f4cd.kgbdeals.com/?id=9261 Various local and national deals. When a friend you invite to join kgbdeals buys their first deal, you earn kgbkash - simple! $6 after they make their purchase.

Living social https://livingsocial.com/redeem_invite/14008539-alicem?ref=lnk Great deals. Just had the $20 Amazon gift card for $10. Local company in DC. National deals. After you buy the deal, you'll get a unique link to share. If three people buy the deal using your link, then your deal is free They have an iphone app as well.

Local Ginger: http://www.localginger.com/ Northern Virginia deals no deals for signing up.

Mamapedia Sweet Deals: http://deals.mamapedia.com/?ref_id=71871Invite Friends, Get $10 And 30 Points Plus set up a 5% giving to the school of your choice for each purchase you make.

No More Rack http://www.nomorerack.com/?cr=208143 online shopping destination for those who want quality, brand named apparel and accessories at prices up to 90% off retail. First 5 that sign up through this get a $10 gift card. You get $5 per person that signs up. Shipping is a flat $2. Deals post daily at noon EST. last for 24hrs. Has Friendrack as well where you get items for having 15 or more friends sign up in 30 days.

One Kings Lane www.onekingslane.com/invite/AShaffer $25 credit for each friend that signs up and makes a purchase. At One Kings Lane, we believe that living (and giving) well is more than just a fantasy. That’s why we bring the world's best designer décor and home essentials, entertaining and travel needs, fantastic gift selections and more to our members – at up to 70% off retail.

Plum district https://www.plumdistrict.com/?ref=u762bc865f22 If you're new to the district, they'll give you $5 off your first purchase in the next 7 days. You get $10 Plum Dollars for every friend you refer when they buy their first Plum Deal.Various deals National and local
Restaurant.com purchase food certificates up to 80% off a $25 coupon. Various rules and restrictions. Great for trying new places.

Socialbuy http://www.socialbuy.com/r/11656 SocialBuy is a collective buying site that helps you and your friends try new experiences at extraordinary prices. Every day, we promote an exclusive deal from a local business looking to attract new customers. What's in it for you: 50% to 90% savings on the most exclusive restaurants, events, hotels and spas in your city. You refer a friend to SocialBuy, and they create an account from the link you send them. If they make their first purchase within 30 days, you'll get $10 credited to your account. Various national deals.

Specialicious https://www.specialicious.com/register/referrer/w0kYBMGGRYltTNFNeH3r huge savings at one of your absolute favorite spots to eat, stay or play! Specialicious is brought to you by the same hard-working, NoVA-loving individuals who publishNorthern Virginia Magazine each month Each special is available for purchase for 48 hours unless it's a Friday special which will be available for 72 hours. you will receive a $10 credit (a.k.a. Specialicious money) in your Specialicious account when a friend you invited to Specialicious through your personal invite link makes his/her first purchase within 72 hours of registration.

Tippr http://tippr.com/i/alice.shaffer/l/ You will get great discounts at all kinds of local businesses around town, and everybody that joins today gets a $5.00 credit. Various cities
Twongo https://www.twongo.com/?referrer=23758 $5 for you and friend for them signing up and making their first purchase. Twongo was created from the Chinese term, Tuangou, which translates to team buying or group buying. Every day on Twongo we’ll feature a deal at one of the best dining, shopping, or entertainment venues in your area The more people buy the less it costs.

WTD deals www.sowhatsthedeal.com/ref/alice20835 Get $5 for signing up and $5 when a friend makes their first purchase

Yipit http://yipit.com/washington-dc/ We collect all the great daily deals from 292 services

Zozi: http://www.zozi.com/z/get_credit/16po 10 into your account when a person you invited follows your link and makes a purchase on zozi. Getaways, everyday, vacation and gift deals. Has some unique deals.

National and Local
Coupon blogs
We use coupons http://www.weusecoupons.com/
Deal Seeking Mom http://www.dealseekingmom.com/
Totally target http://www.totallytarget.com/
Groupon Girl http://www.groupongirl.com/
Maven of Savin http://www.mavenofsavin.com/
Hip2save http://www.hip2save.com/
Familyboundmom http://www.familyboundmom.com/
The Frugal Girls http://www.thefrugalgirls.com/
Couponing to Disney http://www.couponingtodisney.com/
My frugal adventures http://www.myfrugaladventures.com/
Surviving the stores http://www.survivingthestores.com/
Southern savers http://www.southernsavers.com/
Redplum: http://www.redplum.com/
Coupons: coupons.com
http://couponprintster.com/

Money sites
Mint.com

Smartypig 1.35% APR on goals. Online savings account. Once you’ve reached a savings goal using SmartyPig, you can receive up to a 14% cash back savings by placing it on a Retailer Gift Card like Amazon, Travelocity or Lowes. You can even divide up your savings among several Retailer Gift Cards, or put only a portion of your saving on a card or cards.How does our Retailer Gift Card program work? Great question. Let’s say you’ve saved $2,000 and want to put those savings onto a Macy’s Retailer Gift Card for some new furniture. When you select this option, SmartyPig will pay you a cash back savings of 11% for an additional $220. That’s the SmartyPig difference!
SmartyPig Prepaid MC: With this exclusive, reloadable card, you will earn up to 10% cash back at more than 9,000 local and regional retailers just by using it to buy the things you already buy everyday like lunch, gas, groceries, and even lattés (national retailers coming in early 2011!). And, since it is a prepaid card, you’ll be paying with the money you already have

Ingdirect

Swagbucks: http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/thefinancialnanny 450 swagbucks get you a $5 amazon gift card Ways to get swagbucks daily for clicking on things, answering polls, playing games, and just doing general searches. Plus earn 280 plus swagbucks for daily deals ie groupon etc. Get swagbuck matches from those that sign up under you. Up to 1000 swagbucks. Look under the Earn section. I do not use the toolbar application. I just use swagbucks.com as my search engine instead of google/bing. I type in everything: facebook, gmail, regarding nannies, twitter etc. It gets me points for searching throughout the day.

Great deals:
Amazon moms http://www.amazon.com/ref=gno_logo then type in Amazon Mom : is a free membership program aimed at helping parents and caregivers, from the prenatal days through the toddler years, use Amazon to find all the products their family needs. To join, simply sign into your Amazon account and tell us whether you are a Mom, Dad, or other caregivers of a child. By providing information about your family, you can help us personalize offers, e-mails, and product recommendations to help you find exactly what you need at just the right time. Amazon Mom members receive benefits such as 30% off diapers and wipes, FREE Two-Day Shipping with Amazon Prime, as well as exclusive offers via e-mail. What items count towards the shipping benefit so that I can earn more free months of Prime? • Any Baby product (i.e. anything in the Baby store) counts towards earning additional months of FREE Two-Day Shipping with Amazon Prime. To be sure, you can always look for the yellow stripe on the product detail page that says “Amazon Mom: Purchase this and other Baby items to extend your Amazon Prime FREE Shipping Benefits"

Email me at thefinancialnanny@gmail.com to let me know what you signed up for/bought from. Also if you want an invite to SmartyPig.

Janinne Gardner:

Online: Once a day email savings.

Restaurant dining gift certificates
http://www.restaurant.com/
Founded in 1999 by CEO Cary Chessick they have about 15,000 restaurants nationwide, on website menus, wine list, chef bios, search & filter according to criteria ad can make a reservation if needed

Gift certificates in $10, $25, $50, $75, or $100

A $25 will usually cost between $10 - $17.50 but the daily email will bring an addition 10%- 90% discount so now your $25 Gift Certificate is $1.00- $7.00 ($1.75- $15.75).

Can be use that day.
must spend $50 in Restaurant (for a $25 certificate)
sometimes not good on Saturday and Sunday (watch the fine print)
Often Dine in only
I do know of a case where they refused to take the certificate, it is your choice to stay or go. As a result the person was given credit on Restaurant.com for another $25 gift certificate of choice that he can use anytime.

They have loyalty incentive & offer discounts, prepaid cards and other promotional products.

Savings.com
http://www.savings.com/
Founded 2007 they have a deal a day called “Pounce or Bounce”
This is a website for coupons for stores on the internet combined into one website.
They have Staff savings that they have picked. They also have a section for Member Savings, this is if you as a member find a great deal you can add it to saving.com

Other On-line savings:
Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/
“like” for your favorite manufacturer, they often have give away and free items

Or go directly to the manufacturers website and to “opt in” for the newsletter to get free stuff and discounts. Some Manufacturers have free stuff on Saturday

Twitter:
http://www.twitter.com/ mention your favorite items and manufactures in your tweets and you may get “caught” by them and rewarded.

PlentyofFish.com- Free dating site

Craigslist.com- often free/ reduced clothing or furniture,

Scholorships.com- search for scholarships for any talent or medical condition you may have.

Freecycle.com – lots of stuff by category. Careful you need to use good judgment as to what is real and what is just trying to get you email address. If it is to good to be true…it probably is!

Freesamplesfreebies.com

Quibids.com:
http://www.quibids.com/?refer=3869035

Similar to ebay except that all the items are new, bidder pays to bid (.60 per bid) but if you win the item you will get it for much less, it is worth checking out. They do have a Buy it Now option which includes the money you have spent on the bids. For example you have been bidding on an item and have to go and the auction is still going on. You can opt to buy it now and all the money you spent in the bids now goes to the Buy it now price.

Talenthatch.com
http://www.talenthatch.com/

This is a free website where young people around the world (under age 25) can share their performing arts talent by posting videos of their performances in a special website dedicated specifically to them.

Coupons Online both digital (added to your savings card) and/or printable
You can use store coupons and manufacturer coupons together.

Safeway/ Kroger – digital coupons and print (Just for U)
www.safeway.com/IFL?Grocery/offers-landing-img

Giant – printable only
www.giantfoodstores.com/shareddev/sharedcontent/savings/IC.cfm

Zavers.com
http://www.zavers.com/
This is a digital coupon site for Harris Teeter & Super Fresh and several others not in the DC area. These coupons are added to your savings card and are used when you check out. The website will give you the option of sending a shopping list to your email or cell phone.

Coupons.com- printable, online, savings card, also link to restaurant .com

White House Greetings (card from current president of the US)

Fax: 202-456-2461
Email: www.whitehouse.gov/contact
Address: The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave
Washington, DC 20502

Presidential Greeting for these occasions only:
New baby birth or adoption (request after birth or adoption)
50th, 60th, & 70th plus anniversary
80 years young plus all Americans
70 years young plus for Veterans
Religious and civil wedding (request after wedding)
Retirement of 30 years or more in workforce
Religious milestone
School graduation
Eagle Scout or gold award
Religious leader anniversary 25 year & every 5 after
Religious institution 25, 50, 75 & every 5 years after
School anniversary 100 years
Family reunions 25 years & every 5 years after.
Serious illness
Send them the following information:
full name of requestor
full name of recipient
address of recipient
type of greeting (baby, anniversary, birthday...)
date of occasion
requestors phone number

Time to Test Your Smoke Alarms

2010-10-30T11:47:00.000-07:00

We would like to remind you to test your smoke alarms. Remember... a smoke alarm with a dead battery or no battery is the same as having no alarm at all!!!

If your house has 10-year lithium smoke alarms, just take a moment to test your alarms to make sure they're all working correctly.

Depending on how your smoke alarm is powered (9-volt, 10-year lithium, or hardwired), you'll have to maintain it according to manufacturer's instructions. Here are some general guidelines for smoke alarm maintenance from the United States Fire Administration (USFA): http://www.usfa.dhs.gov/index.shtm

Smoke alarms powered by a 9-volt battery:
* Test alarms monthly.
* Replace the batteries at least once a year.
* Replace the entire smoke alarm unit every 8-10 years.

Smoke alarms powered by a 10-year lithium (or "long life") battery:
* Test alarms monthly.
* Since you can't and shouldn't replace the lithium battery, replace the entire smoke alarm unit according to manufacturer's instructions.

Smoke alarms that are hardwired into the home's electrical system:
* Test alarms monthly.
* Replace the backup battery at least once a year.
* Replace the entire smoke alarm unit every 8-10 years.

For more safety tips, visit Safe Start Baby

ADCAN Celebrates 25 Years!

2010-10-07T05:24:00.000-07:00

Regarding Nannies has featured ADCAN in recognizing their 25 year milestone. Check out the entire article on how ADCAN has thrived in the DC nanny community and what keeps it going strong.

The Power of Choice

2010-09-15T05:38:00.000-07:00

Excerpted with permission by Elizabeth Pantley from Kid Cooperation (New Harbinger, 1996)

Would you like to get your kids to willingly cooperate? Stop the daily battles? Teach your kids valuable life skills? If your answer is Yes! Yes! Yes! then read on . . . There are so many things we must get our children to do and so many things me must stop them from doing! Get up. Get dressed. Don’t dawdle. Do your homework. Eat. It goes on and on. We can get our kids to cooperate and at the same time allow them to learn self discipline and develop good decision making skills. How? By offering choices.

Giving a choice is a very powerful tool that can be used with toddlers through teenagers. This is one skill that every parent should have tattooed on the back of his or her hand as a constant reminder. Parents should use this skill every day, many times a day. Giving children choices is a very effective way to enlist their cooperation because children love having the privilege of choice. It takes the pressure out of your request, and allows a child to feel in control. This makes a child more willing to comply.

Using choice is an effective way to achieve results, and when you get in the habit of offering choices you are doing your children a big favor. As children learn to make simple choices—Milk or juice?—they get the practice required to make bigger choices—Buy two class T-shirts or one sweatshirt?—which gives them the ability as they grow to make more important decisions—Save or spend? Drink beer or soda? Study or fail? Giving children choices allows them to learn to listen to their inner voice. It is a valuable skill that they will carry with them to adulthood.
You should offer choices based on your child’s age and your intent. A toddler can handle two choices, a grade-school child three or four. A teenager can be given general guidelines. Offer choices such that you would be happy with whatever option your child chooses. Otherwise, you’re not being fair. For example, a parent might say, “Either eat your peas or go to your room” but when the child gets up off his chair, the parent yells, “Sit down and eat your dinner, young man!” (So that wasn’t really a choice, was it?)

Here are some ways in which you can use choice:
· Do you want to wear your Big Bird pajamas or your Mickey Mouse pajamas?
· Do you want to do your homework at the kitchen table or the desk?
· Would you rather stop at the gas station or give me the money to fill the tank?
· Do you want to wear your coat, carry it, or put on a sweatshirt?
· Would you prefer to let the dog out in the yard or take him for a walk?
· Do you want to run up to bed or hop like a bunny?
· What do you want to do first, take out the trash or dry the dishes?
· Do you want to watch five more minutes of TV or ten?

A typical problem with choices is the child who makes up his own choice!
For example, A mother in one of my classes reported using this skill with great success at home. It was after dinner and she said to her husband, “Honey, would you like to clean up the dishes or put the kids to bed?” He responded, “Hey! You’re using that choice this in me!” (All the skills presented in my book will work with adults, too.) “Taylor, do you want to put on your pajamas first, or brush your teeth?” To which little Taylor answers, “I want to watch TV.” What to do? Just smile sweetly and say, “That wasn’t one of the choices. What do you want to do first, put on your pajamas or brush your teeth?”

If your child is still reluctant to choose from the options that you offer, then simply ask, “Would you like to choose or shall I choose for you?” If an appropriate answer is not forthcoming then you can say, “I see that you want me to choose for you.” Then follow through. Make your choice and help your child – by leading or carrying him – so that he can cooperate.

Meet Greta Schraer - 2010 INA Nanny of the Year

2010-09-08T05:32:00.000-07:00

Meet Greta Schraer …
2010 INA Nanny of the Year
by Kellie Geres, ADCAN president

ADCAN is pleased to introduce you to Greta. A few of us met Greta in October at Nannypalooza, and she is a friend to many. In knowing Greta myself these past couple years, I wanted to learn some new things and share them with you, so read on and share Greta’s story ….

Greta Schraer is a full-time career nanny currently caring for three year old triplet boys. She has worked with children for the past 18 years in the Cincinnati area. She has been a full-time, temporary, part-time and seasonal nanny for many families. Greta has also been a Youth Ministry Administrator mentoring junior and senior high school students through one-on-one and group teaching. Since returning from the 2009 International Nanny Association Conference, Greta started the blog, CincyNanny, to connect the nannies in Cincinnati and share resources and information. CincyNanny now has over 80 nannies involved! The CincyNanny blog continues to grow and be featured outside the Cincinnati area. Greta has also been able to mentor families and nannies through all the issues they face. In May, she was the recipient of the INA Nanny of the Year award for 2010 and received her INA Service Award Pin. Greta has just recently joined the INA Board of Directors as the Membership Committee Chair. In addition to spending time with her husband, Greta teaches Lindy Hop/Swing Dancing. She also volunteers at her church as well as partnering in national and international mission trips. Greta's hobbies include traveling to new cities, cooking new recipes, decorating, writing, and making projects on her Mac computer.

A typical day for Greta …
Each morning I arrive at the house by 7:00. N is always the first awake. He quietly sneaks downstairs then in view he runs and jumps in my lap. We usually check the weather channel or news while I drink my coffee and mentally plan our day. By 8:00 all are up. We keep to a routine as I feel it brings comfort and ease to all of use. The boys know the cues and what to expect. First we go potty, get dressed, and have breakfast. Meals are a great time to teach and talk. Mornings are usually an easier part of the day, so after breakfast I try to get most of the chores done (dishes, laundry, and etc.) as the boys play and help me. By 9:30 we are usually heading out the door for the adventure of the day. The boys love to go to museums, parks, the pool, story time, errands, or school. No matter where we are headed they are excited to ride in my car. I like to use this time out and about in the world to teach and connect with them through songs, experiences, and simple conversations. They are like little sponges and soak up all the city has to offer them. Sometimes we eat lunch out, or have a picnic but most days we come back home. After lunch, the boys play as I clean up, then we all have "clean up time" together. Then comes story time on the couch, where we read about 3 books. Next is quiet time/nap. I use this time to eat, take a break, and finish chores. After quiet time we have snack. In the last hour of our day we play games, color, playdoh, etc. This is usually the wild part of my day; the boys sense the transition coming. Unless staying late, I head home at 5:00. H usually opens my car door and tells me to “Go home, see Doug” then says “Have a good day”. Throughout the day there are always surprises, questions, time outs, encouraging the potty, wrestling, games, the potty, singing, helping, the potty, teaching, and of course more of the potty. I try to carve out time with each boy alone as well as play as a group. Can you tell there is never a dull moment with three year old triplet boys?

Asked how she sees herself inspiring others, Greta says …
The people that I look up to and respect are people not only doing wonderful things for the world, but are also real enough to connect with and learn from. They are people who are humble, honest and desire to grow. As Nanny of the Year, I hope that people realize I am not perfect nor the perfect nanny. There is always more to learn, and I hope that I will inspire others to continue that process. I hope that I will show others that by following your passions you can do great things. We are each unique and therefore have a unique gift to share with our world.

How Greta wants to be remembered …
A few years ago, my Nanny (grandmother) passed away. She and I were extremely close my whole life. When this hard time came... I was thinking, what do I want to be remembered for? I came up with 4 things. Someone who loved God, loved others, was faithful and giving. This is how I want to trend my life, including being a Nanny. I hope that people see me as someone who is passionate about people, children, and is faithful and giving to them and this industry.

Greatest Accomplishment …
As a Nanny, my greatest accomplishment is partnering with my family in caring for the most amazing boys. I have seen so much growth in them over the past three years and I am honored to have been a part of that.

As an individual, my greatest accomplishment five years of marriage to my best friend. While in comparison to others it may not seem like much. However, I grew up in a broken, unhealthy family and longed to do things differently. I am proud that my husband and I share mutual respect and trust. We are committed to do the work a marriage requires. Plus he is pretty cute, funny, and has amazing character.

5 Fun Facts …
I am obsessed with Broadway and got to see Wicked the week after it opened in 2003 with original cast.
I tweet quotes from the boys each day so that I never forget their cutest moments.
I have 52 pairs of shoes in my recently organized closet.
I have swing danced in about 20 cities in the US, and always look up the best venue as I travel.
I have boxes of journals from my youth. I had no idea that I would become someone that writes in the open, rather than alone to herself.

Favorite …
Vacation: Ocean views, clear water, swimming, massage, and margaritas.
Childhood memory: Riding in my Nanny's (grandmother) car, she would always take me on country drives. She sat me on phone books in the front seat. I said my first full sentence to her..."Look, Nanny, a cow, how 'bout that Nanny, how 'bout that?"
Song: Gravity, John Mayer
Food: Mashed potatoes
Book: Philippians (in the Bible)

Finally, if you could have lunch with anyone - dead or alive - who would it be?
I would have lunch with my half-brother that I have never met. I grew up an only child and always wanted a brother. Maybe someday I will come across some more clues that will make this possible.

You can read Greta’s acceptance speech from the INA Conference on her blog, CincyNanny.

Congratulations ADCAN Nannies and Supporters ...

2010-09-05T05:28:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to ADCAN Nannies …

Alice Shaffer (15)
Angela Jackson (15)
Kellie Geres (20)
Janinne Gardner (20)
On receiving their 2010 Harriette Grant Service Award Pin

And to ADCAN Supporters ...
Barbara Kline / White House Nannies (25)
Stephanie Breedlove / Breedlove & Associates (15)
Guy Maddalone / GTM Associates (20)

On receiving their INA Service Award Pin
At the 25th Annual INA Conference
May 21, 2010
San Francisco, California

ADCAN Celebrates 25 Years!

2010-09-01T05:24:00.000-07:00

It’s a Party!

Join us Sunday, September 19 as we kick off our 25th year serving the DC Nanny Community.

ADCAN is proud to be the longest running nanny support group in the country, and we’re kicking off our 25th year with a party.

Spread the word, invite all your nanny friends, families and staff and join us at the McLean Community Center 2:30—5 pm for a festive event. We will have prizes, special guests, and what’s a party without cake!

This celebration is about YOU! Without you—the nannies, agencies, industry services—ADCAN would not be the success is it is today.

Stop in, say hi. Celebrate with us! We also kick off NNRW—National Nanny Recognition Week!

We look forward to seeing you there!

RSVP to events@dcareanannies.com or
866-841-9139 Ext. 2176
All are welcome!

Play with a Purpose … KaBoom!

2010-08-31T05:14:00.000-07:00

by Janinne Gardner

During our April Business meeting we were pleased to have Kiva Wilson, a Training and Education Coordinator for KaBoom!. Ms. Wilson graduated from Dartmouth College, and worked in the Peace Corp as a volunteer and youth development technical trainer. KaBoom!, is a national non-profit organization that is dedicated to bringing play back into the lives of children. Their vision is to have a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. They believe that play has a purpose, and they are driven to create a movement in support of this belief.

The first question she asked us was, “What do we remember about our childhood, what memories do we have?” As we shared our memories we realized that none of them took place in front of a TV or with video games. We have a play deficit she declared, “children spend four hours a day viewing electronic media and 51% of parents have complained that they do not have a playground in their neighborhood.” She lists many reasons that playgrounds are very important to our children. A playground brings self-esteem, caring, learning to share, compromise, getting along, social education, and running is allowed. If Ms. Wilson is any indication of the drive and excitement of a typical employee of KaBoom! then this is an organization that gets things done.

Making a playground in your neighborhood starts with a need. An individual or neighborhood association can contact KaBoom! to submit an application they are currently in the USA, Mexico, Canada and Puerto Rico. You will then be assigned a project manager who will begin the twelve week planning process. Generally parents and organizers contribute 10% of the cost and business partners 90%. They start with a design day; children from the community draw their dream playground. From these designs by the children Playworld Systems will make three different design plans to take back to the community for selection. Then committees are formed: food and donations for volunteers, volunteers, construction, safety, and logistics are a few that might be needed. This proves the community is invested in the project. If all goes well, the day arrives when the playground is assembled; yes it is actually assembled in one day. Click here to see a time-lapse playground being built. The volunteers are 50% parents and 50% funding/business partners. A playground is born.

Maybe your neighborhood has a playground but it needs a little help, either it is lacking something like picnic tables or maybe the landscaping needs some help. For help with small project visit: KaBoom! Side Projects. This is where you can get step by step plans to build projects that are easy, medium, complex to very complex. Maybe you are looking for a table top chess board or a mural. How about full plans on how to paint a basketball court or a map on the blacktop, maybe a sandbox, or even a planter bench combo; get the plans here!

Are you looking for volunteer projects? Kaboom! has many playground projects that you can help build. How about hosting a KaBOOM! Play Day, in your neighborhood and be part of a national celebration to save play in the lives of children. When: Plan your Play Day to take place on any day during the week of September 18 – September 26, 2010 Who: Gather outside with your community for fun games and improvement projects that celebrate play. Maybe you are on vacation and need a playground. KaBoom! can locate a playground in your neighborhood or Grandma’s neighborhood. Visit the KaBoom website to check out all its possibilities.

Protecting Children from Window Falls

2010-04-30T04:00:00.000-07:00

Springtime Window Dangers??
Protecting Children from Window Falls

The winter hibernation has finally come to an end, bringing warmer weather and fresh breezes. During this season, Safe Start Baby wants to remind you that while Spring brings fresh air and outdoor fun, it is also the time of year when window injuries and deaths are at their highest. Prevent injury and follow these important window safety tips:

Avoid placing furniture near windows to prevent children from climbing.

Don't rely on insect screens to prevent window falls. These screens are designed to provide fresh air while keeping bugs out. They are NOT designed to prevent a child's fall from a window and can pop out with as little as 1-pound of pressure!

Install window stops designed to limit how far a window will open or window barriers that block the window completely. Windows should open no more than 3 ½”. Your window guards should be designed with a quick release to allow escape in the event of a fire.

Keep windows locked and closed when they're not being used.

Keep children away from windows and patio doors when playing.

Supervise children at all times, especially around open windows.

A fall from a window can happen in a matter of seconds and the consequences can be devastating. Don’t wait for a tragedy, practice window safety today!

About Safe Start Baby: Safe Start Baby services the Metro DC area & offers babyproofing installations, in-home assessments, babyproofing products, CPR training & an on-line webstore. Call today for a free phone consultation. Special Offer: book an assessment and mention ADCAN to receive free window guards for the nursery (for standard windows).

To reach us, call Safe Start Baby at 888.240.7233, or visit our website at www.safestartbaby.com. Safe Start Baby is a proud member of the IAFCS.

Certifikid!

2010-04-28T04:00:00.000-07:00

Introducing …. Certifikid!

Attention: DC Area Parents, Grandparents, Parents-to-be, and Childcare Providers

We are happy to announce the launching of Certifikid (http://www.certifikid.com/)!

If you are familiar with the websites Groupon, Living Social, or other group buying sites, Certifikid is a similar concept, however, it is a website specifically geared to parents, grandparents, parents-to-be, and other childcare providers in the Greater Washington area.
If you are unfamiliar with the notion of group buying, it is basically a win-win proposition for the business and its customers. Each day Certifikid will feature a single, daily, unbeatable, family value. You will be able to purchase and print your Certifikid certificate directly on the website. The deals will lead to savings of at least 50%!

We already have a fantastic lineup of deals on board for you and other families and the excitement is spreading. Some of our first exclusive deals will include a performer for parties and schools, family photographer, muralist, play gym, dance classes, and a cupcake shop.
Please subscribe on the website NOW at http://www.certifikid.com/ to ensure that you receive the first daily deals offered coming this May.

Also, in order for many of the deals to become active, a minimum number of buyers will need to go for the deal. Thus, we need you to help us spread the word so that everyone can benefit from these great family values. Please help us (which will ultimately help you) get more people subscribed by telling your playgroups, schools, neighbors, friends and family about Certifikid. One easy way to do this is to click on our Facebook link to become a fan and suggest to your friends that they become fans and check us out. You can also follow us on Twitter.
We hope you subscribe! Let's all work together to make Certifikid the online playground for great DC family values.

- Your Friends at Certifikid

Screening the Screener

2010-04-27T17:02:00.000-07:00

by Janinne Gardner
ADCAN vice president

During our first 2010 meeting we were privileged to have the co-owners of Nanny 365, Marcia K. Thompson, J.D. and Dr. Kim Barnett PhD, LPC as speakers. Nanny 365 is one of ADCAN’s wonderful supporting agencies. They discussed how we can use public source information to conduct research on the people & neighborhoods where we are considering working. During the session, we learned professional interviewing techniques to screen the employer and make sure they are a right fit for us. The goal of the session was to empower us to have the confidence that we need to select the right family.

Ms. Thompson, an attorney and public source researcher, has many years of experience serving as a child legal advocate in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Dr. Barnett, a licensed professional counselor and a Professor of Children's Studies at Bowie State University came loaded with a sheets and a power point presentation that captivated us from the get go.

Unlike the book The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin & Nicola Kraus, we do not get a job by being in the right place at the right time; it takes a lot of patience and energy to find the perfect position. As we all know just filling out the agency application “book” takes thought and consideration and a lot of time. However, it is all worth it if we do manage to find that perfect fit.
We started the discussion with preparation for the interview. Ask questions on the phone, decided if this is a job you are interested in pursuing. If you are looking for a live-in, is the job live-in? Are you looking for set hours, does the family want more flexible hours then you prefer? What are the ages of the children? Are you comfortable with a newborn and a school age child? Get as much information upfront as possible before you set up a meeting with the parents.

While on the face to face interview they suggest using these effective communication skills: listening, tone, content vs. process, body language and open questions.
Listening: try to figure out what they are not saying.
Tone: is the interview relaxed and are they focused on you? Do you feel like they have other stuff they would rather do? Did both parents attend the meeting? Where are the children? How do the parents interact with the children during the interview?
Content vs. Process this is about what you say (content) and how you say it (process). If the two are not congruent the message can get lost.
Body Language: Watch the parents and see how they react to your questions. Does their body tense up when they talk about going back to work, maybe they relax and they become very focused and excited while taking about work?
Open ended questions: Try not to ask too many questions that can be answered with a yes or a no, make the parents think about the answer. Some good open ended questions may be: What will my day look like? How will you feel about having a new baby & a nanny in the house all the time? What attracted you to have an in-home provider rather then a daycare center? How do you see the nanny fitting into your family? What other support system do you have besides your nanny? Have you ever had a houseguest or household staff who did something that bothered you, what did you do about it? What did you like and dislike about your last nanny? Can you tell me about the last time you had to discipline your child and what you did about it? In your mind what is the best way to keep open and consistent communication?

They also suggest the website www.searchsystem.net. This directs you to other websites that give public information on people and businesses. Some of the information you can get on it is: criminal background check, background check, public records, people search, criminal records, business licenses, & property search. They also suggest going to the bar association to check out any lawsuits on lawyers or to get information about a DWI in the criminal report of public records.

How To Photograph Your Baby

2010-03-17T08:41:00.000-07:00

How To Photograph Your Baby by Melissa Doran

The February featured speaker for the meeting was none other than our own Jen Goin. She gave a presentation on how to take pictures. After a brief speech by Jen in the beginning, we watched a video by Nick Kelsh called “How To Photograph Your Baby”. The video was very informative. It gave a lot of helpful tips for taking great photos. There is also a companion book that goes with the video, “How To Photograph Your Baby”. The book is available at most book stores. The DVD is available at http://www.howtophotographyourbaby.com/dvd.

Use natural light whenever possible and turn off the flash. The flash adds too much harsh light and the natural light adds dimension to your pictures. Save the flash for snapshots. For best results set your ISO to 400 when your flash is off.

Slow down when taking the picture. Take a breath in and when pushing down the shutter button exhale. Only move your index finger when pushing down the shutter button, not your whole hand to keep your pictures from turning out blurry.

Instead of just taking one picture at a time, just keep snapping away. Since most of us now own a digital camera, you can delete the bad ones without wasting film. This is especially helpful when you are shooting a moving target like kids, babies or animals. You might have to take 100 shots, but out of those 100 you might only get 10 good pictures.

Zoom in on your subject. When you are zoomed out you get a lot of unnecessary clutter and background objects. It takes the focus off of what you are really taking a picture of.

If you’re looking to edit your photos, here are some helpful websites: http://www.piknic.com/, http://www.picasa.google.com/, http://www.lunapic.com/, http://www.photoshop.com/, http://www.fotoflexer.com/. If you have an Mac computer, IPhoto (another editing program) comes standard on your computer.

Backup your photos. Make a folder of all your favorites and save them to an external hard drive. If something happens and your computer crashes at least you have saved all your pictures. The other option is saving them to a website. There are some listed on this website. http://reviews.cnet.com/4520-6451_7-6245115-1.html

Most importantly have fun!

This article originally appeared in the March/April 2010 issue of ADCAN Happenings.

Does Your Child still need a Rear Facing Car Seat?

2010-01-20T13:19:00.000-08:00

courtesy of ADCAN

January / February 2010 newsletter

by Janinne Gardner

The District of Columbia and the States of Maryland (June 30, 2008) & Virginia (July 1, 2007) all require children be in a car seat or booster through age seven. On their eighth birthday they may begin using the car seat belts. Is this good enough, are your children safe? Interesting enough none of them have requirements for rear facing car seats. Traditionally we use an infant-only seat or a convertible in rear position until the baby is twenty pounds and over 1 year. Again, is your child safe?

Kathy Gutierrez a Car Seat Technician, Nanny & Mother, states an unequivocal, NO to both of these questions! At our November business meeting she educated us on car seat safety. She sites Pediatrics, a professional journal, who says a child under the age of two is 75% less likely to be killed or suffer severe injuries if they are riding in the rear facing position. Kathy also states she believes in the “laws of physics” not the State Law when it comes to the safety of her children and the children in her care. It seems the car seat manufacturers are catching on to this since convertible car seats have a rear facing maximum weight of at least 30/35 lbs and a few are 40/45 lbs. In Sweden, in contrast to the US, where children remain rear facing until they are between 3-5 years old they have substantially lower death and injury rates, about 1 to 2 a year. “Keeping the child at a rear facing position takes the force of an accident off the child’s spinal cord and neck. In a forward facing position the body is held back by the straps but the head is not. The head is thrust forward, stretching the neck and the spinal cord. In the rear facing position the head, neck and torso are cradled by the back of the safety seat in a frontal crash (SafetyBeltSafe USA). A human’s neck bones are not mature until between four and six years of age, spinal cord between 3 years and six years.

While legally your children are “allowed” to be in a vehicle seat belt at age eight most children should use a booster until between 10-12 years old so that the shoulder belt and the lap belt are the right fit for the best crash protection. A simple test will determine if your child is ready to be moved from a booster.

Does the child sit all the way back against the auto seat?
Do the child’s knees bend comfortably at the edge of the auto seat?
Does the belt cross the shoulder between the neck and arm?
Is the lap belt as low as possible, touching the thighs?
Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?

If your answer to any of the above questions was no, then you should keep your child in a booster seat (SafetyBeltSafe USA).

Kathy gave us some interesting facts to think about:
1. Car seats expire about every six years. A few have a life expectancy of seven or eight years. All car seats have a date that they were made, and should be retired when the instruction manual states. This is because plastic gets old and fails. Check out youtube.com and watch “car seat expiration”.
2. Your child has outgrown his rear facing car seat when he has reached the maximum weight stated by the manufacturer or his head is less then an inch from the top of the seat.
3. Newborns need to be at a 45 degree incline until they can sit up by themselves generally about 6 months.
4. When a child is strapped in, the straps should be tight enough that you can not pinch a horizontal line at the shoulders.
5. Mirrors in front of a rear facing child are dangerous unless they are soft. In the case of an accident the child could rebound into it and may be injured. The Mirrors could also become unattached (no matter how secure they seem) and injure the child or someone else.
6. Mighty Tight only stretches the seat belt, do not use. Your vehicle’s seat belt may need to be replaced if you have been using one.
7. Children in ill-fitting seat belts tend to ride in an incorrect position, either sliding forward to the edge of the seat or slouching downward. Some children are less likely to buckle up, perhaps because the auto seat and belts are not comfortable for them (SafetyBeltSafe USA).
8. In the case of an accident your car seats should be replaced, Britax car seats have a few exceptions (see your manual). Your insurance company should pay for the replacement because it is required to drive your child.
9. Car seats & vehicles have a 40 or 48 lb weight limit on LATCH system. This means if your child weighs 50lbs you will need to use the car’s seat belt to install his car seat. However if your car seat has the new super latch & the car was manufactured after Sept 2005 then you can use latch up to the usable weight of the car seat manufacturer. So in this case if you have a 50lb child and your car seat and car match the criteria for a super latch you may use the LATCH system until the child weights the maximum for the car seat.

I hope this has given you something to think about. It has certainly made me think. I know you are thinking, “my child is uncomfortable sitting rear facing, his legs will be bunched up, what if he breaks his legs” or “my 9 year old will rebel and I can’t make him use a booster when everyone in his class doesn’t.” or “I have driven children for years and never had a problem.”

If you are hesitant to put your two year old back in rear facing he will figure out a way to be comfortable, she will generally cross her legs or put them up on the back seat. Actually with rear facing she will be able to retrieve fallen object much easier making it a less stressful trip with toys and cup falling on the floor, rear facing it will fall in her lap. Go to http://www.cpsafety.com/ for some pictures of rear facing older children. As for her legs breaking: there is no documented case of a rear facing child damaging their legs, hips or internal organs. However the most common injury for forward facing is broken legs (2), and a chance of so much more. If you still don’t believe go to www.joelsjourney.org and just read.

As for the nine year old, safety issues are non-negotiable. You wouldn’t allow him to ride his bike on the highway! Choices regarding his car seat safety are just as important and should not be up to him. Try using a small backless booster that can not be seen from outside the car. This will help position the car seat belt correctly while being less obvious. We can only change the acceptance of this one child at a time.

As for being lucky and never having a problem, great! Just don’t play Russian Roulette with her life. Okay at some point in writing this it has become less about describing our meeting and more about convincing you. I am not sure at what point I became a firm believer, probably between YouTube and JoelsJourney however, I feel as though I have so little control driving around the DC area. I guess I feel that in the car is one place I do have control and if rear facing until four or boosters until ten just helps for that one second…Great! If you would like more information on car seat installation please contact Kathy Gutierrez at kegutierrez@yahoo.com or read her blog, http://www.carseatnanny.blogspot.com/.

SafetyBeltUSA PO Box 553, Altadena, CA 91003; http://www.careseat.org/ 310-222-6860/ 800-745-SAFE
http://carseatqueen.com/rf.aspx

Parent Gifts for any Season

2009-11-12T04:00:00.000-08:00

by MaryAnn X. Meddish

2009 INA Nanny of the Year

reprinted with permission Regarding Nannies

Once again it is that time of year where we all start scratching out heads trying to figure out what to get our employers. I have been asked for ideas so many times over the years that I started keeping a list of ideas, it keeps changing so here are some tried~n~true and some new ideas for you to refer to all through the year as anniversaries, birthdays, Mother’s and Father’s days, Grandparent’s day, and next years holidays start to gang up on you. Craft gifts you can make with your charges: These ideas can also be used to make gifts for extended family members and the household staff (i.e. an apron for the cook, flowerpots for the gardener, a scrapbook for the Au-pair). Remember that the expense of craft supplies is usually covered by the employers or you can ask for a Christmas allowance for the children to make gifts.

Read the entire article at Regarding Nannies

Car Seat Safety - November Guest Speaker

2009-11-09T04:00:00.001-08:00

Please join us at our November meeting. We will have a certified Child Passenger Safety Technician present us with the latest information on car seats and much more.

This course will help you learn which stage of car seat is appropriate for your child; when your child should be rear facing, in a forward facing harness, in a booster seat or adult seat belt. You will learn what to look for when shopping for a new car seat, and how to properly use it. You will learn how to tell if the car seat is properly installed, and where to find help if it's not.

You can RSVP to the meeting by:

Replying to you member evite.
Email us at events@dcareanannies.com
Call us at 866.841.9139 Ext. 2176

All are welcome! Bring a friend.

Kathy Gutierrez has been a professional nanny since 2000, and a mother since 2006. In effort to keep her children and charges safe, she became a Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) in 2008. After certification, she worked side by side with a CPST Instructor with 25 years experience, and continues to do so.

The Nanny Financial Corner

2009-11-05T04:00:00.000-08:00

by Alice Shaffer @ The Financial Nanny

Getting Ready to Start a Budget
As I have mentioned, being a professional live in nanny has wonderful benefits and sometimes a downfall of falling into debt. I have been working with a budget lately and wanted to help others set one up so they can be as financially responsible.

Over the coming weeks, I am going to share with you how to set up a budget along with weekly homework assignments that help you get to the next step in making a budget.

This week we will gather money totals for everything - money coming in and money going out. I suggest getting a one subject notebook for your budget and keeping things together. We will eventually put the budget on a spreadsheet so that it will do the calculating for you.

Here’s what you need to get started:
For all of the following you need the amount due, payment due date, amount of loan/balances of accounts, and interest rates.
*Your last paycheck (preferably two) and a schedule of when you get paid (weekly, bi-weekly, bi-monthly, etc) with dates
*Credit card bills (most recent)- Visa, MasterCard, Sears, Discover, Kohl's - all of them
*Banking information - this includes checking, savings, money market, CDs, Savings Bonds including fees.
*IRA/401K/Brokerage account balances and information
*Insurance paperwork - car, life, health, pet, home/renter's, etc.
*Utilities –phone, cell, internet, cable/satellite, electric, rent, water/sewer, trash, and appliances etc
*Student loans or other personal loans
*Prescription & health care costs
*Subscription/Membership fees - Health club dues/fees, Netflix, union dues, etc
*Doctor/dentist visits

Daily living:
*Groceries, clothing, eating out, dry cleaning, salon/spa services, gas, snacks, bus/metro/subway/cab fares, movie rentals, concerts, purchase of music/DVDs/books/toys/birthday presents, pet supplies, magazine & newspaper subscriptions

Yearly/Semi Yearly expenses:

*car insurance, organization membership fees, conference fees, hotel fees, vacation, tuition, music/language lessons, charitable donations
*anything else that you pay for or collect interest on

This is a large list of items to work on. I promise you that when we get this budget together, you will feel great about yourself.

Homework
In addition, to gathering the above information I would like for you to track ALL of your EXPENSES for this week. You can carry an index card and write down all cash/credit/debit purchases or write them in a notebook. This will help us figure out where you money goes and what kind of budget you need to work with.

If you want a spreadsheet to report them on, here you go Monthly Expenses

To find out other steps in setting up a budget please visit: http://www.thefinancialnanny.com/
Part 2: Setting up a Budget

Part 3: Putting everything into your spreadsheet

The Maid Movie

2009-11-03T05:28:00.000-08:00

The Maid won this year’s Sundance Film Festival Award and will be premiering in DC on October 30th at the Landmark’s E Street Cinema.

THE MAID is a Chilean film about a woman named Raquel, who works as a live- in maid for a wealthy family in Santiago. We see Raquel go through an emotional journey as she tries to find her way back to becoming loving and open to others as she has trained herself to be cold and distant.

This film touches on Chilean culture along with the roles women play within a household.

Please feel free to watch the trailer at http://www.themaidmovie.com/ .

You can also become a fan of THE MAID MOVIE on Facebook and follow us on TWITTER.

What, Exactly, is a Nanny?

2009-11-02T13:53:00.000-08:00

by Christine Watson Holsen

ADCAN Board at Large

The big question was raised at the most recent monthly meeting of ADCAN members: What exactly is a nanny? What sets her apart from a babysitter, an au pair, a parent/mother's helper, etc.? ADCAN Vice-president Janinne Gardner had been thinking about that question ever since she attended the recent Nannypalooza Conference. A speaker at that conference offered a definition that did not satisfy her. At the meeting, Janinne first asked the members to jot down their own definitions on index cards, then she gave a brief list, from dictionaries, nanny agencies associations, and from Wikipedia. There followed a general discussion of how a babysitter or an au pair differs from a nanny. The members agreed that a babysitter provided "basic supervision," and "follows the parents' instructions." An au pair, they agreed, is "a foreign exchange student who serves as the mother's helper" and becomes "part of the family." Her primary interest is educational opportunity and international travel."

The members then split into three working groups for in-depth discussions, which were at times quite passionate. When they reconvened, a representative summarized the views within each group, and the whole group discussed them. There was consensus on some basic points, and difference of opinion on others. On the question of how much authority and autonomy a nanny should have, for instance: "I'm a great nanny because I can adapt to my family's needs," or "I have no say in consequences/punishment [for a child's negative behavior]," vs. "... and adult who co-parents and assumes responsibility for the children in her care..." In the end it was agreed that this was different in every situation.

The definitions submitted anonymously by each participant before the discussion started showed an even greater range of views, including: "...first of all an educator, not a housekeeper.... a guide, a counselor, a second mother, disciplinarian...", "...takes full care of children (no parent at home)...", "...searches for ... opportunities for professional development and has no other defined agenda besides child care.", "does not use TV as a babysitter", "Mom substitute -- all things related to child(ren) + field-related continuing education."

This "focus group’s” consensus definition of a Professional Nanny :
* Legal
* CPR/First Aid certified
* Makes it her career, not just a job
* Pursues ongoing training through meetings, conferences, etc.
* Has the experience and confidence to advise and direct parents. Has the ability to offer options, resources and recommendations. Teaches parents how to parent.

Your thoughts on this important and complicated subject would be much appreciated by the author, possibly to be used in a follow-up article. Please email Christine at McLeanBabyPro@gmail.com.

This article appeared in the November / December ADCAN Newsletter.

Don't Miss the Next Sensory Friendly Film!

2009-09-10T17:24:00.000-07:00

AMC Entertainment (AMC) & Autism Society of America bring families affected by autism and other disabilities a special opportunity to enjoy their favorite films in a safe and accepting environment on a monthly basis with the ”Sensory Friendly Films” program.

Read the entire article here ....

Nanny Groups blog features ADCAN!

2009-08-31T10:49:00.000-07:00

ADCAN has been featured on Nanny Groups blog. Check it out.

An Awesome Trip to The Dump

2009-08-04T06:13:00.000-07:00

After moving out of our old house and into a new one this weekend, a trip to The Dump (aka The Montgomery County Solid Waste Transfer Station) was in order. Neither the kids nor I had ever been, and boy, were we in for a treat. What I thought was going to be a dull domestic duty turned out to be an accidentally awesome family outing.

Read the rest of the story ....

Jessica writes A Parent In Silver Spring, a website with lots of fun outing ideas for both parents and nannies to share with their children.

Ways to Save ... The Financial Nanny

2009-07-26T10:40:00.000-07:00

Ways to Save Money this Summer and all year round!

I just started getting the magazine All You. You can only get it at Wal-Mart or via subscription. I got an assume deal on the subscription through Southern Living at Home for $19.99 for two years. In store it costs around $1.99. That is a savings of about $24! The cool thing about this magazine is that it is chocked full of useful coupons from food, bathroom and household items etc. I also like that it has a month worth of meal planning and recipes to go with it. I will be getting a link to purchase it shortly up on my blog, The Financial Nanny.

The June 26 issue has a great article on when to buy things to get the best price. For the month of July, your best deals are on gym memberships. You can most likely get a great deal on a month to month membership. The gyms are trying to keep their membership quotas through the summer months. If you have been looking to join the gym, it sounds like now is the time. For the month of August, is of course, the biggest back to school shopping events. Everything from clothes, crayons, notebooks, pencils, pens and computers have large discounts on them. If you are in the department for a new air conditioner or camping equipment, August provides healthy deals too.

Are you one of the people who don’t like paying full price for things? If so, I have a website for you! This website, Current Codes, contains codes for over 2000 websites. These codes can be used for discounts on purchases and shipping etc.

Nannypalooza Deals:
There are two ways to enter for a free conference registration to Nannypalooza in the fall. The first one is sponsored from NannyNetwork/Homework Solutions

Details:
How to Win:

#1 You must be a registered NannyNetwork.com Bulletin Board Poster with a minimum of 5 posts on 5 separate dates. Why? NannyNetwork.com wants to reward loyal posters who understand the value of networking with peers.

#2 You must be a nanny! Sorry, business representatives and others are ineligible.

#3 Contest is open June 1, 2009 - July 31, 2009.

#4 Email Webmaster at NannyNetwork.com with the following information: Subject = NannyPalooza 2009, NN Screen Name, Your Name, Your email Address, Your Telephone Number, Sentence (or more) on why you post at NannyNetwork.com that may be quoted on NannyNetwork.com.

#5 HomeWork Solutions will choose a winner at random.

The Conference Pass and Hotel Room night are NON TRANSFERABLE. All entries agree that their name and quotation ONLY may be posted by the operators of NannyNetwork.com when announcing the winner. The winner agrees to confirm within 10 business days their firm intention to attend. If you are the lucky winner and you cannot attend - please have the courtesy of allowing another nanny to attend.

The next one is the Nannypalooza Bounce Back Scholarship. Details:
It’s been a tough year for our industry. Many longtime nannies have lost their jobs and are finding it challenging to land a new position at a livable wage. One of the results is that some past Nannypalooza attendees won’t be able to join us this year because of their financial situation.NANC, with the help of some generous nanny sponsors, is offering a scholarship to help those nannies make it to Nannypalooza 2009. The scholarship includes conference registration and Saturday night accommodations at the Doubletree Bethesda Hotel.

Eligibility Requirements

Worked as a nanny for at least one year and lost her job due to economic reasons.

Currently unemployed and actively looking for a permanent position OR currently working but were unemployed for 4 or more months between Nannypalooza 2008 and now.

Attended a Nannypalooza in the past.

Facing a financial situation that would making attending Nannypalooza 2009 a hardship.

To enter to win the Nannypalooza Bounce Back Scholarship, please send your full name, your city / state, and support group affiliation if you have one to info@nannycredential.org with Bounce Back in the subject line. On Friday, August, 14th, we’ll draw a name from random and notify the lucky winner.

Fun and Learning - Everyday Adventures in Montgomery County, MD

2009-06-18T07:45:00.000-07:00

Another great resource for those who live in or are headed to Montgomery County, MD.

Fun and Learning - Everyday Adventures in Montgomery County Maryland

Thanks to Alice Shaffer for providing this information.

Things to Do - Washington DC

2009-06-16T17:46:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Alice Shaffer for providing this great information.

Things to Do - Washington DC

Things to Do - Virginia

2009-06-15T17:44:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Alice Shaffer for providing this great information.

Things to Do - Virginia

Come back and check out Things to Do - DC.

Things to Do - Maryland

2009-06-14T17:35:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Alice Shaffer for providing this great information.

Things to Do - Maryland

Come back and check out Things to Do - Virginia and Things to do - DC.

Great Giveaway Open to All Nannies

2009-05-15T12:11:00.000-07:00

Check out the NEW blogs of The Financial Nanny and Gentle Transitions for an exiting opportunity to win a FREE INA Membership.

The Nanny Financial Corner - Oh Budget!

2009-05-11T11:24:00.000-07:00

The following article appeared in the May/June 2009 ADCAN newsletter.

by Alice Shaffer

Oh Budget!

We have all been told at one time or another we need to follow a budget. However the problem we run into is how exactly to set one up and where our money goes. We would all love a personal financial planner but can't afford one. Today I bring you some hope to this frustrating process. I recently discovered an incredible site called Mint.com. This is a FREE site that is the next best thing to a financial planner. It tracks your spending habits over the past 90 days. It will sync and track your financial accounts, help create budgets and alerts you if you have been charged a bank fee or have gone over your monthly budget. There is also a feature that analyzes your accounts and can recommend additional checking and savings accounts for better interest rates including credit cards. It provides you with a pie chart of your expenses and investments. This is great if you are a visual person. Mint automatically categorizes expenses and line items which is very useful. You can also create your own categories if the default ones don’t make sense to you.

I went to the site and in about 10 minutes I had signed up for my account. The main information you need is your login, password, and security question for all the accounts you want to track. Now you might be saying "Why, would I give them access to my information?" They use the same security sign in systems as your credit cards and banks. They are a "read only" site. They don't have your account numbers. You cannot move money around in this system. For more information on their privacy policies please go here. It is a secured network.

Mint.com was named one of the 50 best websites of 2008 by Time Magazine and has won multiple Webby and PC World awards. It was also named Best New Financial Service at the American Business Awards.

Measles Outbreak Warning - Maryland

2009-04-15T06:56:00.000-07:00

Thanks to ADCAN Member Taylor Augustine for providing this information .....

http://www.wtop.com/index.php?nid=706&sid=1649416

Measles watch intensifies in Montgomery Co. ROCKVILLE, Md. - A measles watch in Montgomery County is intensifying. County and state health officials are asking anyone who was admitted to the emergency room at Shady Grove Adventist Hospital last weekend to call 301-826-6000. The potential for exposure to measles would have occurred last weekend while a patient was being treated in the emergency room. The patient was kept in the hospital's short-stay unit from April 5 to April 7. Earlier this year, measles was detected when an unvaccinated resident returned from a trip overseas. Since then, two adults and an infant have been diagnosed with measles. The first thing you'll notice with measles is a fever. "Once you develop the rash though, along with the fever, we want people to suspect measles," says Cindy Edwards, nurse administrator of Montgomery County's Department of Health and Human Services.
Other symptoms include:
· Runny nose;
· Red, watery eyes;
· Cough (can be similar to croup);
· Small red spots, with blue and white centers inside of the mouth.
But health officials are asking that you don't just go to the doctor or emergency room. "We want them to call ahead or sit out in the car until they can notify them that they are coming in and that they have a fever and a rash, so they can be immediately isolated and we can protect the other people in the area," Edwards says.

ADCAN Member wins INA Conference Scholarship Contest

2009-03-17T08:22:00.000-07:00

Congratulations Alice Shaffer.

To read Alice's winning essay, visit her blog at Nanny Adventures.

The Nanny Financial Corner - How to have fun with a smaller budget!

2009-03-01T09:27:00.000-08:00

The following article appeared in the March/April 2009 ADCAN Newsletter

The Nanny Financial Corner

by Alice Shaffer

How to have fun with a smaller budget! Having fun sometimes takes money, doesn't it? Well I have found 10 ways for you to have fun, look good, stay healthy and still save money. These cover areas from books, movies, exercising, dental care and sightseeing. Let us know what worked for you and what didn't.

1. Buying Books. Books are wonderful, but did you know that you can get them free at the library? Of course you probably do since you take your charges to story time and check out books. So why don't you check out books there instead of buying them at the store for $8-$25 each? You can easily save $100 dollars a month on books by checking them out at the library. Pull out your library card and make a visit today. Many times you can reserve the books online or get on a waiting list.

2. Trade books you’ve read for books you want to read! For the cost of postage, PaperbackSwap members receive credits for books they want by swapping books they’ve read. To get started you just need to fill out the registration form, submit 10 of your books you want to swap (using ISPN numbers) and you receive two credits free to get you started. You can use those credits immediately to get two books from someone else. Each book is worth one credit. Once someone requests a book from you, you mail them the requested book, and when they receive it - you get a credit. Then you can start requesting books you want, and others ship to you. All done through the PBS website, you print shipping labels and can even pay postage through their site. Drop in the mail or at the post office, and you’re on your way to reading some great books. You can also swap children’s books, and audio books. So start going through those shelves and boxes full of old books and make room for new ones. Easy as 1-2-3.

3.DVD purchases: You can go to www.dvdpricesearch.com/ and search for the DVD’s you want and where they are located for the lowest price. Also check out www.deepdiscount.com/, which has a large number of new and old DVD’s at discount rates. Checking out Amazon is a great idea too as they often have DVD sales (remember to shop through the ADCAN Amazon link). I recently purchased the entire Six Feet Under series for $60 and free shipping. At $12 a season, that is better than I could have found at any store. You can also swap DVD’s at SwapaDVD, a sister site to the above PaperbackSwap.

4. Movie Theaters: You can get a frequent movie goer card from AMC called MovieWatcher. You accumulate points each time you go to the movies. At certain levels you earn a free movie, free small popcorn, etc. Just remember it deducts points if you cash in for the free small popcorn instead of waiting for the free movie. Some theaters offer reduced rates before a certain time of the day. For instance, Tyson’s offers $6 movies before noon on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. I have found myself going to a Saturday movie at 9:35 am and still have the entire day available. Other movie theaters may have similar programs.

5. Free DVD rental: Mondays are FREE DVD rentals at Redbox. They are normally one dollar for 24 hours. On Monday's they have a code to get one free. Make Mondays your movie night! You can look online for where the movie is available and reserve it. RedBox DVD rentals are available in many area grocery stores. Check their site for more information.

6. Dental plans: Do you need dental care but don't like paying full price? With Dentalplans.com You can pay around $135 a year and get up to 50% off services. This week I went to the dentist and had a panoramic x-ray done. They normally charge $120, but with the plan it was $62. For my three surface cavities I need filled, it will be $111 instead of $205. Right there I saved $150 dollars. I actually have two cavities so that will be a total savings of $242. That is almost the conference fee for INA. If you would like to look into the program go to Dentalplans.com and if you sign up please use my referral code of: 49S97A27. I will receive three free months for each person that signs up. You can also refer someone as well and start building free months too! How awesome is that! The coverage normally starts within three days. You can search to see if your dentist is on the list. If they are not, I can recommend a dentist in Mclean who is awesome and the new one I just visited in Bethesda.

7. Clothes buying: Never pay full price for any new clothes, make sure they are on sale. You can also look at thrift stores as many of them have new unused clothes. Someone I know bought a whole bunch of clothes off Craigslist for $30 and got at least four good outfits out of the purchase. Swap clothes with friends. If you have lost weight pass along your clothes to a friend or try to sell them in lots on Craigslist.

8. INA Conference: Take advantage of the early bird discount of 10%. Or write a 300 word essay on what it means to be a professional nanny for your chance of receiving a free conference fee. Get two or three roommates to cut down the cost of the hotel room. INA is offering a discount code for American Airlines to use for your flight as well. Go to INA for all the conference details.

9. Working out: Did you know that you could arrange with a few of your other friends to have group personal training sessions? A lot of personal trainers will do group sessions. So check this out in your area. This is a great way to work out and stay motivated.

10. Visit Washington DC for FREE entertainment. Did you know that there are 19 museums in the Smithsonian and they do NOT charge an entrance fee? Not many places in the US offer free museum entrance fees. Check out www.si.edu/museums/ to see what is available at your fingertips. You can take the metro to the center of DC to reach many of the museums. The monuments are also a great form of entertainment and history. You can sit on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial and look out onto the Mall of the Smithsonian to watch the 1000s of people walking and visiting our wonderful Nation's capital. Visit www.nps.gov/state/dc/. This will give a listing of all the parks and monuments available in DC. Grab a picnic lunch and head outdoors.

Have other savings suggestions? We'd love to hear them.

INA Conference Scholarship Opportunity Offered to ALL Nannies

2009-02-19T10:27:00.000-08:00

Here is your opportunity to have your INA Conference Registration Fee paid for.

For all the details, check out All Things Nanny.

The No-Cry Nap Solution by Elizabeth Pantley

2009-01-22T08:50:00.001-08:00

Author Elizabeth Pantley has introduced her new book The No-Cry Nap Solution.

Will your child only nap in your arms, in a swing, or after elaborate rituals? Does your child take cat naps -- or none at all? Let world-renowned, trusted parenting author Elizabeth Pantley help you. She’ll guide you with the same sensitive expertise and gentle approach used in her other No-Cry bestsellers about sleep, discipline and potty training.

Research proves that daily naps improve health, mood, growth, intelligence and well-being. Yet children often resist the naps they need and parents don’t know how to make them happen. The results are fussy, crying babies and cranky, grouchy kids who also have trouble sleeping at night!In The No-Cry Nap Solution Pantley explains to parents of children ages newborn to kindergarten the importance of napping to both behavior during the day and sleeping during (and through!) the night. She then shares with you her gentle, loving child-friendly techniques--tested on families of all sizes and circumstances--and shows you how you can customize her solutions for your own family.

Pantley addresses issues such as children who resist naps, dealing with schedule changes, turning short naps into longer ones, helping a child go from needing motion for sleep to “stationery” sleep, nursing at naptime, daycare-related napping problems, newborn “in-arms” or “in-sling” napping issues, and much more.

Chili Recipe from January Meeting

2009-01-20T09:53:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Deb Santamore for sharing this chil with us at our January Meeting. There were so many requests for the recipe, we've shared it with you all here. Enjoy!

Vegetable Chili

3/4 cup olive oil
2 zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch dice
2onions, cut into 1/2 inch dice
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 large red bell peppers, cored and cut into 1/4 inch dice
1 can (35 ounces) Italian plum tomatoes, with their juice
1 1/2 pounds ripe plum tomatoes, cut into 1 inch dice
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 Tablespoon ground cumin
1 Tablespoon dried basil
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian(flat leaf) parsley
1 cup canned dark red kidney beans, drained
1 cup canned chick-peas(garbanzo), drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh dill
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup sour cream
2 cups grated Monterey Jack cheese
4 scallions(green onions) white bulb and 3 inches green, sliced on the diagonal

1. Heat 1/2 cup of the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the zucchini and sauté' until just tender, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer the zucchini to a large flame proof casserole or Dutch oven.
2.Heat the remaining 1/4 cup of oil in the skillet over low heat. Add the onions, garlic, red peppers. Sauté until just wilted, about 10 minutes. Transfer the mixture to the casserole, along with the oil remaining in the skillet.
3. Place the casserole over low heat. Add the canned tomatoes, and their juice, the fresh tomatoes, chili powder, cumin, basil, oregano,pepper,salt, fennel seeds, and parsley. Cook, uncovered, stirring often for 30 minutes.
4. Stir in the kidney beans, chick-peas, dill and lemon juice; cook for another 15 minutes. Stir well, and adjust the seasonings to taste. Serve with bowls of sour cream, grated cheese, and sliced scallions alongside.

Serves 8 portions.

Notes... I use Pam instead of olive oil and you can just use a pot or a crock pot. I don’t always add all the chili powder.. Better to start off with less and add then too much that you can’t take out.

This recipe comes from The New Basics cookbook by julee rosso & sheila lukins

Montgomery County Maryland Nanny Contracts

2009-01-07T09:28:00.000-08:00

Kathy Webb at HomeWork Solutions has some great information and resources regarding the Montgomery County Maryland Nanny Contracts legislation requiring that domestic workers (nannies, housekeepers, maids, companions) be provided a written employment agreement effective January 18, 2009.

Nanny Contracts (also referred to as Work Agreements) are vital in our industry and there are many resources available to find one, including 4NannyTaxes.com.

Kathy will be joining us at our February 15 meeting (2:30-5 pm) at the McLean Community Center to discuss contracts with all attendees. Currently have a contract? Want to improve it? Don't have one and need to learn how to start one? Join us at this meeting and we'll answer your questions.

Please RSVP to this event by emailing us or call us at 866-841-9139 Ext. 2176

Penny's Candy Countdown

2008-11-19T09:30:00.000-08:00

December first till Christmas
is the longest time of the year.
Seems as though old Santa
never will appear.

How many days till Christmas?
It's mighty hard to count,
so this little candy ribbon
will tell you the amount.

Remove a (candy of choice)
every night when the sandman
casts his spell.

And Christmas Eve will be here
by the time you reach the bell!

Supplies:

Hot glue, and glue gun
1 inch ribbon for the candy
a sewing needle
thread to match the ribbon
1/4 ribbon for hanging and attaching the bells at the bottom
small jingle bells
white paper for poem
red or green paper for backing
Candy of choice (individually foil wrapped) At least 24 pieces

You have to cut down the poem after printing and then attach it to either red or green paper before it is used on the candy ribbon.

To start, measure out your 1inch ribbon, for larger candy like Nestles Crunch Bells you need to cut a piece of ribbon 41 inches long. For candy like Hershey Kisses cut the ribbon 37 1/2 inches long. The 1/4 inch ribbon is to make the tie at the top and bow at the bottom, both need to be cut 4 inches long. You will need 3 small sized bells, needle and thread, and a hot glue gun. Before you start make a bow out of one of the 1/4 inch ribbons that you have cut.

After you have your ribbon cut, for the top you fold it over 1/4 of an inch, and again about 3/4 of an inch to make the loop to attach the remaining 1/4 ribbon to hang it. You stitch this across the back by hand.

At the bottom you make a double 1/4 inch fold, stitch it across, then keep the thread and needle intact.
Put the needle up through the center of the ribbon from back to front. Then take the bow you have made and put the needle through it, bringing the bow down next to the ribbon stitch through once (making sure you end up with the needle back out at the front of the candy ribbon again). Then take one of the bells, put the needle through the top of the bell and attach it to the bow, repeat with each bell.

Next you would take the poem, center it and hot glue it to the top of the candy ribbon. After I do this, I count out the 24 pieces of candy and place them on the ribbon so I can space them out evenly. Then I go back and glue them on one by one with the hot glue gun. After this put the other 4 inch piece of 1/4 ribbon through the loop you made at the top and knot it and your all done.

I hope these are easy to understand :) enjoy

Happy Holidays!

2008-11-19T09:19:00.000-08:00

ADCAN nannies met on Sunday, November 16 to talk about the Holidays. We came up with some amazing holiday gift ideas for employers. Top of the list ... photos! Can never have too many photos. Ideas for photos? Mugs, placemats, frames, ornaments ... what are your favorite photo suggestions? Take photos of children's artwork and make into a book using Snapfish.

Kellie had some amazing ideas using pottery painting using children's hand prints and even their feet! Though don't comment on her drawing skills :)

We had a few ideas for making our own advent calendars using a hanging shoe organizer and one using scrapbook supplies.

Penny shared with us her mom's annual contribution of the Candy Countdown (see separate post for directions).

What do you give to your employers? Gift cards to nice restaurant, bottle wine, photos of children, book about the holidays, night of babysitting are just a few. What do you give to your employers?

What are your favorite holiday traditions? What do you do to make the holidays special for all?

Nanny as Parent Coach Workshop

2008-10-23T08:28:00.001-07:00

ADCAN was please to offer Nanny as Parent Coach workshop at our October 2008 meeting. Led by Tara Paterson, this interactive workshop provided us with a general introduction to the basic principles of parent coaching and how mastering these principles enhances our skill sets as in-home child care providers. We also learned how we can expand our careers through the development of our own independent parent coaching business.

If you attended the meeting, what were your thoughts on this program? What was the best piece of advice you took away from the meeting?

We'd love to see your comments on the October meeting.