Pregnancy Calendar and Ancient Chinese Birth Chart PLUS Tips for Trying for a Specific Gender

Can an ancient Chinese calendar really predict the gender of your baby? Take American Baby's simple quiz and find out. The results could spill the beans about whether you're having a boy or girl!



Click HERE to start the quiz!



Back when I was prego, I relied on a few different methods to figure out if I was having a boy or a girl. First, was the old wives tales - http://sweetleighmama.blogspot.com/2009/07/old-wives-tales.html - which were accurate - because less than 9 months later a baby girl popped out! And the second time around, here's what I used to figure out if baby #2 was a boy or a girl - http://sweetleighmama.blogspot.com/2010/12/its-gotta-be-one-of-two-boy-or-girl.html. Lo and behold, it was a boy! So do old wives tales and gender prediction charts really work? I'd say YES to the "beauty marks" because it happened with Paige but didn't happen to me while pregnant with Deacon. And KIND OF YES to the gender prediction charts - if you use the official one (like the link I have above) the results are pretty spot-on. The swinging ring over the belly? BIG FAT NO. Didn't work.

BUT - back when we were working on making baby #2, I did a bit of research and found out that there are some ways to tip the odds of one gender over another in your favor. And for us, it worked. Check out my "Trying For a Specific Gender?" post here: http://sweetleighmama.blogspot.com/2011/01/trying-for-specific-gender.html

Icky, Sticky Cavity Creep... Watch Out or It Will Get You! Let Doc Wellbee Help You Save Your Smile



USE CODE SLMSMILE25 TO SAVE
25% OFF YOUR ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP!

 October kicks off National Dental Hygiene Month. And in celebration, Doc Wellbee (www.docwellbee.com) is partnering with Sweet Leigh Mama to offer readers an exclusive discount – Use code SLMSMILE25 at checkout  and receive 25% off a Doc Wellbee annual membership. Discount applies to memberships paid in full vs. via monthly installments. (exp. 10/31/13) (Note: Doc Wellbee plans currently available for Georgia residents; Memberships available nationwide starting October 1)

But I've got to be honest... I hate going to the dentist. There - I said it. I never had a bad experience. Didn't wake up in the middle of getting my wisdom teeth removed. Didn't even have a cavity until I was 16 years old. But I hate everything about the dentist, except, well... the dentist. My dentist and dental hygienist are awesome! Doc Wellbee (www.docwellbee.com) shared a study with me recently that let me know I wasn't alone in my fears.

 

According to the study, the top two reasons people avoid the dentist are 1) Fear of discovering a major dental problem and 2) Fear of the bill after the visit. DING DING DING! That's me. The idea that something could be wrong with my teeth is reason enough for me to avoid the dentist. Then, the thought of the ridiculous dental bill on top of getting bad news? No thanks. I'll go step on the scale if I want to get bad news AND see ridiculously high numbers ; )

 

So… when was your last dental visit? The average American waits three years between going to the dentist. Sounds about right... that is until my husband started making my dentist appointments 6 months ahead of time. Thanks babe. 'ppreciate that. (How about being that proactive with doing the dishes or laundry?!)

Anywho... Back to Doc Wellbee (www.docwellbee.com) and the info they enlightened me on. Ends up the longer you wait between going to the dentist, the worse a case of dental decay you may be facing. Plus, the huge bill you'll encounter to fix the decay you waited WAY to long to take care of. Doc Wellbee (www.docwellbee.com) calls this "Cavity Creep".

 

News flash mamas: cavities don't disappear. And not only that - a tiny cavity can quickly eat through multiple layers of your tooth, leaving you with a massive infection. Every person's situation is different, but for many of us a cavity won't stay just a cavity for long. Like a rotten spot on an apple - leave it long enough and it gets deeper and deeper until the entire apple is rotten and needs to be thrown out. Except it's not so easy to throw out a tooth. It's called an extraction - followed by an implant. Nice. 

“But I brush and floss like a champ!” you’re probably thinking. Sorry to say, but Doc Wellbee told me that even the best at-home brushing and flossing routine isn’t enough to keep your mouth free of decay-causing plaque and tarter. It’s vital you catch and treat decay early – and the only way to do that is through regular check-ups, cleanings and x-rays. Without regular visits to the dentist, you can expect a costly visit from the “Cavity Creep.”  

 

 

 

What is Cavity Creep? To put it simply, as dental decay progresses, the cost to repair the damage increases… dramatically.  Maintaining good oral hygiene with regular dental visits catches decay early on, keeping a small cavity and filling ($195) from turning into a major dental issue requiring a crown ($1,200), root canal ($2,000) or even a full tooth extraction and implant ($3,000+)! 

 

 

Curing dental bills?  The only way to lower your dental bills long term is through prevention. Bottom line - go to the dentist for regular exams and cleanings, catch any decay early, and keep your teeth (and wallet) happy.

 

Doc Wellbee can help you out by lessening the blow of dental bills TODAY. Doc Wellbee is a dental discount program which operates much like a members-only warehouse club. Consumers pay an annual membership fee for access to pre-negotiated, reduced rates with thousands of top-quality dentists and specialists. Friendlier than traditional dental insurance, there are no coverage limits, claims or waiting periods with Doc Wellbee. Members pay their dentist directly and receive a substantial discount on virtually any dental procedure – from routine exams to root canals, crowns and implants.  Even orthodontics!  

Check it out! Doc McStuffins Party Pack

The reason I love Etsy so much is that I can constantly add new items to my store - Sweet Leigh Mama. What ever I dream up, I can add it. And if it doesn't sell? There's not really a loss (except for my time and effort). I love creating custom invitations for my kids' birthday parties, and I put  a lot of time into creating custom graphics to match the theme... and it only just struck me that maybe I could sell these graphics to other DIY mamas : ) So here is my first "Party Pack" - Doc McStuffins, of course!

I recreated each of her most recognizable tools - like the Band Aid, her Doctor's Bag and the Stethoscope. I didn't steal them off of the internet, but actually recreated them (with my own twist) using Photoshop. Phew! Hard work, but I think they look pretty awesome! Check out everything I created below (or click here to view it on Etsy):



Doc McStuffins-Inspired Band Aid and Stethoscope

Doc McStuffins-Inspired Doctor's Bag

Doc McStuffins Party Pack - 12 Digital Papers PLUS 7 Customizeable Clip Art Images AND Happy Birthday in Doc Fonts and Colors

Doc McStuffins-Inspired Digital Paper Pack

Next up... Pinkalicious. Because Paige just can't decide the theme for her next birthday : )

Probably going to build Party Packs for each of these too, since I already spent the time creating the invites the past few birthdays and parties!



Cars - Lightening McQueen and Mader



Bridal Shower Invite