I'm a mom of 4 kids under 6, a freelance writer, and a lifelong asthmatic. I also blog (www.MamaliciousMaria.blogspot.com) and am a media consultant (www.MariaRosePR.net) but my main goal is to keep my head above water most days. I like tennis, zumba, and my iPad. Find me on Twitter at @MariaRSmith
As soon as the + sign appears on the pregnancy test, most women are bombarded with well-meaning, well-intentioned, but sometimes contrary advice. Food is one of those areas of concern for ...
June 12, 2013 - 8:38pm
Every summer, kids stream out of school heading to a pool, playground, or some other outside activity. While it is great to get kids outdoors, there are specific steps parents need to take to ...
June 10, 2013 - 6:54pm
Travel is no longer one size fits all. Women are consistently traveling more for both business and pleasure and hotels are now starting to see that their experience may need to be a little ...
June 5, 2013 - 8:01pm
Most parents try to avoid unnecessarily medicating their kids. In this day and age there's a pill (or a syrup, or a chewable, or a melting wafer, etc.) for everything. But that does not mean kids ...
May 29, 2013 - 12:20pm
Summer vacation is the time when families are free from rigid school schedules and nice warm weather prevails just about everywhere. Many families use this time to hit the road. Since travel can ...
May 22, 2013 - 6:55pm
The media is abuzz this week with the news that megastar Angelina Jolie underwent a prophylactic double mastectomy after learning she tested positive for the BRCA gene mutation. She kept the ...
May 15, 2013 - 11:14am
Twenty years ago, there were almost no cases of diagnosed bipolar disorder in children. Now, some estimates say almost 3 percent of all adolescents are living with this mental health issue. In ...
May 13, 2013 - 6:59pm
Mother's Day comes every May and brings with it loads of handmade cards, last minute flower deliveries, and often a breakfast in bed. But some moms are deciding that while they love being with ...
May 9, 2013 - 6:43am
This Mother’s Day, put away the roses, skip the breakfast in bed, and ignore the perfume aisle at the local department store. Why not give the gift of travel to Mom this year?
Sleeping late ...
May 1, 2013 - 7:42pm
With everything in life getting faster and more advanced, from technology to food to the many ways of communication, there is a segment of the population looking to slow things down. They want to ...
April 24, 2013 - 1:46pm
"Clean eating" is the catch phrase that has people everywhere talking, from Hollywood A-listers to moms chatting in the car pool line. Born out of the hippy movement in the 1960s, eating "clean" ...
April 17, 2013 - 6:00pm
For as long as women have been having children, morning sickness has been an issue. As most pregnant women can attest to, the name "morning sickness" is actually a misnomer because it can happen ...
April 10, 2013 - 8:52pm
There is never a shortage of fad diets. People have tried everything and anything to lose weight. From grapefruit-only diets, to liquid diets, to low carb, low fat, or low calorie diets, there is ...
April 8, 2013 - 7:41pm
For a lot of people, summer camp conjures up images of mosquito-filled cabins, rickety canoe rides, and tear-stained pillow cases when homesickness settles in. But those same people also remember ...
April 3, 2013 - 7:21pm
Losing weight is never easy for anyone, but it is especially difficult for kids who do not always have the nutrition and exercise knowledge needed to drop some pounds.
Kids who are overweight ...
March 27, 2013 - 8:04pm
As the season is changing, many health and wellness experts urge patients to take the proper steps to create a healthy transition for the mind, body, and spirit into the next season. This ...
March 20, 2013 - 6:16pm
News outlets all over the world have reported about the astonishing news that a baby girl in Mississippi was cured of the HIV virus, contracted from her mother at birth.
While the facts ...
March 13, 2013 - 6:36pm
Typically, vacations are all about indulgences. They usually involve lots of food, perhaps some fruity drinks, and not much exercise.
It is no wonder that most people come back from vacation ...
March 11, 2013 - 7:17pm
Most Americans are aware that hunger and poverty are large problems in this country.
But many do not know that it is not only the homeless on street corners that do not have enough to eat. ...
March 6, 2013 - 7:01pm
A 2013 ProTWIN study carried out by doctors in Amsterdam found that an Arabian-style pessary reduced the number of poor neonatal outcomes in women with short cervixes who were carrying multiples. ...
February 27, 2013 - 7:22pm
Wind energy, like other renewable energy forms such as solar and geothermal, are important to help wean America off the dependence on foreign oil.
Wind power is a free, non-polluting, ...
February 20, 2013 - 9:01pm
According to some experts, counting calories is important but not necessarily the best approach to losing weight. One of the most helpful ways to drop the pounds is to eat foods that make one feel ...
February 13, 2013 - 1:01pm
People all over the world follow thousands of different diet plans. There are no-carb, low-carb and all-carb options, fat-free, low-sugar, high-protein ... There is truly a diet for everyone out ...
February 11, 2013 - 7:49pm
Family vacations are the stuff memories are made of, though those memories are not necessarily always good ones. Vacations can be fraught with drama, stress and overall turbulence, and can make ...
February 6, 2013 - 8:46pm
Moms have to do it all. Teach reading, writing, and arithmetic to kids who come home from school with backpacks full of homework. Instill empathy, self-esteem, and dignity to make sure the kids ...
January 30, 2013 - 7:51pm
The flu outbreak in late 2012 has quickly blown up into a full scale epidemic in 2013. At last count, 30 states are reporting widespread illness among residents.
And the ones to suffer the ...
January 23, 2013 - 9:19pm
As all new moms know, swaddling newborns by wrapping them tightly in a blanket can be a lifesaver.
Not only does it allow the babies to get extended periods of sleep by keeping them warm and ...
January 16, 2013 - 7:46pm
There are hundreds of diets around. From no carbs to low fat to raw to juicing, Americans try anything and everything to lose weight.
There is no shortage of weight loss plans endorsed by ...
January 14, 2013 - 2:27pm
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder that affects millions of people worldwide, often first striking between the ages of 15 and 25.
Experts think this condition is caused by a chemical ...
January 9, 2013 - 8:44pm
Girls everywhere are starting to worry about their weight and their hair and their clothes and everything else, at an earlier and earlier age.
It used to be something that teenagers and maybe ...
January 2, 2013 - 7:13pm
Each year, after all the Christmas festivities are finished but before the calendar officially turns to another year, many Americans make at least one resolution to do better in at least one ...
December 26, 2012 - 8:30pm
On Friday December 14, 2012, the world changed. A lone gunman in Newtown, Conn., killed 26 people, including his own mother and 20 children.
The slaughtering of 6- and 7-year-olds was the ...
December 19, 2012 - 9:02pm
It is no secret to most parents that there are teenagers who experiment with drugs. Teens and even pre-teens from every demographic, region, and socio-economic group can fall prey to bad choices. ...
December 12, 2012 - 3:26pm
During the busy holiday season, Americans will welcome many friends, family members, and even strangers into their homes.
But most are unaware that the same people who are spending time with ...
December 10, 2012 - 1:59pm
When people hear about drug abuse, the image many conjure up is of back alley deals, skid row streets, and little baggies full of white powder. While those images are real, the new drug of choice ...
December 5, 2012 - 7:39pm
Running has always been a popular form of exercise. It is easy, everyone knows how to do it, it’s free, and really does not require any special equipment (except shoes) or even a gym membership. ...
November 28, 2012 - 6:34pm
Everyone has heard of Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Millions of dollars (perhaps billions?) will be spent on everything from electronics to toys to clothes. But this year there is something ...
November 21, 2012 - 8:23pm
In the United States, pneumonia is often thought of as just a bad cold. Once someone gets it, they rest, take some medicine prescribed by a doctor, and are better in a few days, right? ...
November 14, 2012 - 2:44pm
As the economy is starting to come back, many families are looking to make the upcoming holiday season one to remember.
While that may mean a ton of toys for some lucky kids, others will get ...
November 12, 2012 - 7:38pm
On November 7, 2012, Americans cast their vote in the race for president. They also voted for a senate, congressional, gubernatorial, and a host of state and local offices.
But in Los ...
November 7, 2012 - 9:20pm
For moms of many kids, taking a trip to Disney World might seem like a pie in the sky type of dream. After all, most people think it will cost thousands for just a family of four to go.
But ...
October 31, 2012 - 7:57pm
It is not a secret that special needs children are often at a high risk for abuse in American schools.
It's great that more schools are opening their doors to disabled kids who in the past ...
October 24, 2012 - 6:37pm
Everyone is using social media to communicate better these days. Teachers have their own blogs. Celebrities announce their big news via Twitter.
Even grandparents are getting in on the act ...
October 17, 2012 - 6:54pm
For over 55 years, McDonald’s has been a mainstay in most communities. It has at times been beloved by some and demonized by others but over the years it has continued to evolve into what it is ...
October 11, 2012 - 8:38pm
"When you argue in front of your children you change who they are." Dr. Phil McGraw (now of Dr. Phil fame) said this during one of his regularly scheduled appearances on the Oprah Winfrey Show ...
October 10, 2012 - 8:26pm
The cases of pertussis, more commonly known as whooping cough, have been on a drastic rise in the last year. Once thought to be eradicated from the United States, its resurgence is putting ...
September 19, 2012 - 6:08pm
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) occurs when a generally healthy child suddenly and unexpectedly dies for no apparent reason.
It is the leading cause of death in infants from one to twelve ...
September 12, 2012 - 6:38pm
Parents are always looking for products that make the everyday chores a bit easier, simpler, or better. The newly designed single-use laundry detergent packets promise to do just that.
They ...
September 10, 2012 - 6:26pm
One of the worst times for parents is when they have to take their kids into the doctor’s office knowing they must get shots.
Parents worry about the pain of the needle (and their child’s ...
September 5, 2012 - 7:44pm
According to a new poll, 99 million U.S. adults over the age of 50 have untreated hearing loss. Almost half the respondents in an AARP/American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) National ...
August 29, 2012 - 5:48pm
