April 2024

A bit of this and a bit of that from Donna’s did you know diary

Award winning sight loss coach, author and advocate

You can contact me via email at donnajodhan@gmail.com

Practical and natural!

Welcome to my Donna’s did you know diary for this month and pleased to share the following with you.

Here’s what I learned for this month.

• The difference between Tylenol and Panadol?

Medically nothing.

Tylenol is manufactured in North America

And Panadol is manufactured in the UK.

• Want to find ways to stretch your laundry soap liquid or your dish soap liquid?

Easy!  Just dilute with a bit too water.

Not too much however.

Just remember that as a whole, both laundry soap and liquid soap are both very soapy in content.

So no harm could come from adding a bit of water.

• What’s this about down trodden Mondays?

Absolutely just a false belief.

No, Mondays are no better nor worse than any other day!

• And about thumb prints?

Well, I recently found out that our individual thumb prints are unique.

Your thumb print is different than mine and so on.

• An important tip when someone appears to be choking!

Give them a morsel of  bread to eat.

The hard morsel of bread will push down the offending bit of food that is causing you to choke.

• And what’s this about taking your cough syrup?

According to some pharmacists, you should not take cough syrup for more than 7 days in a row.

• And it’s all about the rocking chair!

Babies simply love to be rocked by their moms especially when they are being nursed.

• If you have ever dropped your I device or hearing aid into water then you can certainly revive it!

And how?

Fetch a small bowl of uncooked rice.

Make sure that it is at room temperature.

Then gently place your I device or hearing aid in the middle of your rice.

Leave it be until all of the water has been drained out of it.

Presto!  Your I device or hearing aid is as good as gold!

• Some trivia about the magnificent Albatross bird!

A few facts about this amazing bird include:

* Average Lifespan in the Wild: 30 years

* Albatross Has the Largest Wingspan of Any Living Bird

* The albatross  can fly 500 miles in a day and maintain speeds of nearly 80 mph for eight hours straight without even having to flap its wings.

* Part of the secret is locking elbow joints, which enable the bird to keep its wings extended for  long periods at no energy cost from its muscles.

* They Can Go Years Without Touching Land

* They Can Live and Raise Chicks Into Their 60s

* They Mate for Life (With Some Wiggle Room)

* They Can Smell Food In the Water From 12 Miles Away

* Finally, these amazing birds are at risk of Extinction!

• About earth quakes?

I recently learned that the first shock is more pronounced than the after shock.

A review of the Air Canada services
By Donna Jodhan
Award winning advocate and sight loss coach

Introduction:
I would say that on the whole end to end Air Canada services are very good and I consider them to be more than acceptable and above the call of duty.

So how would I rate their services? With 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest, here are my ratings.
Service desk assistance – 5
Assistance for travelers with special needs – 5

Remarks :
Service at the check in counter was extremely good.
Staff was friendly and welcoming.

About airline staff:
Very accomodating, friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable.

Any suggestions?
Just keep up the good work.

Contact info:
To learn more about me as an award winning sight loss coach and advocate visit www.donnajodhan.com
Visit www.donnajodhan.com and access the coach page to learn about the services that I offer; affordable

The new look for 2024
April 2024
Welcome to our new look monthly tips where we are pleased to share a plethora of tricks and tips that are relevant to such things as technology, travel, managing your daily life, and much more.
So just come aboard, sit back, take a deep breath, and enjoy!
If you wish to contact us then please do not hesitate to write to us at info@sterlingcreations.ca and we promise to respond within 2 business days as long as technology allows us to do so.
Give us your feedback, comments, suggestions, and thoughts!
For it is only through you and with you that we are able to do this!

Table of contents –
1. From our 10 tips on technology series
2. From the pages of Donna’s travel diary
3. A bit of this and a bit of that from Donna’s did you know diary
4. From the scam watchers

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From our 10 tips on technology series
Hello everyone:
Welcome to my 10 tip series where each month I’ll be sharing 10 tips on various pieces of technology.
This would include tips on popular screen readers, office software, and browsers.
If you have any suggestions on what you would like me to share then by all means! Write to me at donnajodhan@sterlingcreations.ca.
For this month:
10 tips for learning the voiceover software

Learning voiceover software can significantly enhance your abilities to record, edit, and produce high-quality audio. Here are ten tips to help you get started with voiceover software:
1.
Select the Right Software: There are various voiceover software options available, such as Adobe Audition, Audacity, Pro Tools, Reaper, and more. Choose software that aligns with your needs, skill level, and budget.
2.
Familiarize Yourself with the Interface: Spend time exploring the software interface. Learn about the different tools, menus, and features available. Most software platforms offer tutorials or guides to help users navigate the interface effectively.
3.
Understand Audio Basics: Learn about audio terminology, such as EQ (equalization), compression, noise reduction, and gain. Understanding these basics will help you use the software more effectively.
4.
Practice Recording and Playback: Start with simple recording exercises. Practice recording your voice and playing it back to understand the software’s recording capabilities. Experiment with microphone settings and input levels.
5.
Editing Skills: Learn basic editing techniques such as cutting, trimming, splitting, and moving audio clips. Practice editing your recordings to remove mistakes, pauses, or unwanted noises.
6.
Effects and Processing: Explore the software’s effects and processing options. Experiment with adding effects like reverb, delay, or EQ to enhance your voice recordings. However, use effects judiciously to avoid overprocessing.
7.
Keyboard Shortcuts: Familiarize yourself with keyboard shortcuts. They can significantly speed up your workflow and make editing more efficient. Learn common shortcuts for tasks like cutting, copying, pasting, and zooming in/out.
8.
Noise Reduction and Cleanup: Understand how to use noise reduction tools to clean up your recordings. Learn techniques to eliminate background noise, pops, clicks, and other unwanted sounds.
9.
Mastering and Exporting: Learn about mastering techniques to ensure your audio is balanced and optimized for different playback systems. Practice exporting your final recordings in various formats suitable for different platforms.
10.
Seek Tutorials and Resources: Utilize tutorials, online courses, forums, and user guides specific to your software. YouTube and other online platforms offer a wealth of free tutorials covering various aspects of voiceover software.
Remember that mastering voiceover software takes time and practice. Start with the basics, gradually build your skills, and don’t hesitate to experiment to discover new ways of using the software to improve your voiceover recordings.

To contact me please send an email to info@sterlingcreations.ca
I’m Donna J. Jodhan (sight loss coach and accessibility advisor)

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Important tips from the travel table
From the pages of Donna’s diary
What makes for an accessible travel website?

In my humble opinion, an accessible travel website is one that enables and allows a traveler with a disability the freedom and convenience to browse, book, change, and garner information for their trip without having to seek the assistance of someone else to help them perform these tasks.

In short, the ability to access said website independently, anytime, from anywhere, and to do it in comfort and style.

No having to seek the assistance of a travel agent. The ability to seek and receive assistance online or by calling a phone number obtained from the contact page, and to be able to submit complaints if necessary.

This is what I would call an accessible travel website.
And this certainly helps to make travel more enjoyable and meaningful!
I would also say that airlines websites should be a part of those websites classified as travel websites and the same would go for cruise company websites.

I’m Donna J. Jodhan enjoying my travels.

To learn more about me as a sight loss coach and author visit
http://www.donnajodhan.com

On your next trip you could enrich your down time with some of my audio mysteries. Take them with you wherever you go!
In the car, on the plane, on the bus or train, at the beach, anywhere!
And now you can listen to Donna’s weekly podcasts!
Ask donna – a plethora of tips from a sight loss coach along with book and product reviews!
Dining with donna – recipes and time saving tips for the kitchen!
Your mental stretch with Donna – how to recharge, renew, and get going! Save yourself from those dramas, traumas, and stress!
Visit www.donnajodhan.com/youtube
and subscribe for free
Follow me on Twitter @accessibleworld and at author_jodhan
And like me on Facebook at
www.facebook.com/donnajodhan and at www.facebook.com/authordonnajodhan

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A bit of this and a bit of that from Donna’s did you know diary
Award winning sight loss coach, author and advocate

Welcome to my Donna’s did you know diary for April and pleased to share the following with you.

Here’s what I learned for this month.
1) About keeping your passport up to date!
When you travel overseas, make very sure that your passport is valid for at least the next six months.
For if it is not, then you run the risk of being refused the ability to travel.

2) When staying at a hotel:
If you wish to have room service clean your room then here are some useful tips.
First, put the sign outside your door with the card showing that you require cleaning services.
Next, if you wish to have clean fresh towels placed in your bathroom,
Then take your old dirty towels and place them on the floor of your bathroom.

3) Okay and here is a tip on how colds start!
They begin in your nose believe it or not and from there they travel along your body to other parts.

4) About caring for orchids?
They should be placed in a sunny spot in your home.
The window sill is a great place for them.
Water them once weekly and you can use ice cubes to do the trick.
About 3 ice cubes per week.
Do not over water them.

5) Warming food in your microwave versus your toaster oven!
In the microwave, food tends to soften.
In your toaster oven, they tend to get hard.

6) What exactly is a de-influencer?
Well here is what I learned!
A de-influencer is the opposite of an influencer.
For whereas an influencer influences by encouraging us to do something, a de-influencer encourages us not to do something.

7) If you need to ensure that yours is a true self test for covid!
Please ensure that you insert the probe provided in your kit far enough up each nostril.
For if you do not; then your covid test will not be authentic.

8) And here are some benefits to eating pears!
They contain vitamin C
And they are filled with fibre.

9) What’s this about when is the best time to take a vaccination?
Well, make sure that you are not sleep deprived.
At least six hours of sleep.
Do not take a vaccination after coming off a night shift.

10) If you are looking for a laptop with a CD rom?
They are becoming more and more difficult to find!
You’ll now need to use an external CD rom drive.
Why is this?
Because manufacturers are building laptops with more usb ports and sd card ports.
The good old desktop computer still comes with a CD rom drive.

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From the scam watchers

And for the month of April the scam watchers advises you to be on the look out for 3 specific types of scams.
1) Someone with either an email or a phone call telling you that they can help you to complete your tax returns.
Just simply ignore; delete emails and hang up the phone.
2) Someone with either an email or a phone call telling you that you owe money to the Inland Revenue service or Revenue Canada.
Again, ignore; delete emails and hang up the phone.
3) You may also see a scam telling you how you can recover unclaimed funds.
Delete and hang up the phone.

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Contact info:
Visit our websites at www.sterlingcreations.ca
www.donnajodhan.com
www.sterlingcreations.com

Email us at info@sterlingcreations.ca

Or call us at 416 491-7711

Ask the Coach!

April 2024

My name is Donna Jodhan and I am using my extensive experience as a sight loss coach as well as my lived experience to share and respond to questions that are submitted to me and I also invite you to share your thoughts on questions asked.

For this month:  a question from Bruce in Lewisville Kentucky.

Bruce is looking for ways to overcome online banking challenges.

My response:

Bruce, I can guarantee that every bank offers a variation in their online banking system.

Some banks offer more accessible online banking than others.

Then, we need to factor in the technical abilities of each individual customer along with the technology that they use.

Some customers use their computers while others use an I device.

While still others get assistance from their banking officers while others ask a friend or family member to help them.

So what I am saying is that it all comes down to what best fits one’s needs.

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

Tell us what you think!  Share your feedback and let’s get more ideas cracking!

It’s important for us to share how we do things!

A question from Melissa in Kansas City Missouri.

Melissa wants to know what is the best way to order from restaurants.

My response:

Melissa and again; it all depends on how comfortable it is for you to place an order with a restaurant.

You can either use an app to do your ordering if one exists and you can check for the availability of said app by visiting the App Store to see if you can find it there.

If it is available, you can download it but then you need to ensure that it is accessible and user friendly and navigable.

It all depends on how comfortable you are with using apps.

Then there is the good old way by using your phone to place an order.

Believe it or not, many restaurants still offer the phone option.

However, using an app is often much quicker when it comes to delivery.

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

Tell us what you think!  Share your feedback and let’s get more ideas cracking!

It’s important for us to share how we do things!

A question from Maria in Atlanta Georgia.

Maria wants to know how can she as a blind person know when a bulb is blown?

My response:

Maria, if you can reach your bulb then it is not too difficult.

Just place your hand gently and gingerly over the bulb and if it is warm then it is still working.

If it is cold then it is blown.

It is often difficult to know if a bulb has blown if you are unable to reach it unless you check your bulbs regularly.

For sighted persons, not a problem.

For a vision impaired person, not so.

If you really want to keep tabs on if your bulbs are working then you will probably need some sighted assistance if you are vision impaired.

You can also you an app on your I device to help you detect whether or not there is light coming from your bulb.  Or there is a hand held light detector on the market as well.

Finally the Envision glasses offers an option for detecting light.

Does anyone have any other suggestions?

Tell us what you think!  Share your feedback and let’s get more ideas cracking!

It’s important for us to share how we do things!

To contact me with a question or a thought; please send an email to me at donnajodhan@gmail.com and I’ll be sure to respond in 5 business days at the most.

If you wish me to respond earlier then put the word important in your subject line and I’ll do my best to respond more quickly.

Until the next time then!

I’m Donna wishing you a pleasant day and thanking everyone for their insightful feedback and suggestions!

The Monthly News Round Up For Award Winning Advocate, Sight Loss Coach and Author Donna J. Jodhan
For the month of March 2024

Read about Donna’s external engagements

Current Affairs

Major news items can be found here
It’s all about Donna’s major initiatives for this month plus a lot more

Current Affairs

For this month
Donna’s meeting with the GTAA and CATSA on March 04
Donna’s first meeting on March 04 took place when she met with staff from the Greater Toronto Airport Authority’s accessibility department.
It was a very refreshing meeting and ideas and information were exchanged.
Donna offered her professional services and the GTAA’s team promised to reach out soon.

Donna’s second meeting with the Canadian Air Transportation Security Agency was also quite successful.
Donna was escorted by the CATSA team through the various sites of Terminal 3 at Pearson airport
Where Donna had an opportunity to evaluate and provide feedback to the various CATSA processes.
The walk through was very thorough and the CATSA team did not hesitate to provide explanations.
They were quite receptive to feedback.
Catsa has promised to reach out to Donna for further projects.

Working with Janet Perez on entrepreneurship
Last month Donna and Janet started to work to evaluate responses to questionnaires from those who submitted
In response to entrepreneurial coaching.
This offer was made to the Carroll Centre’s SRUTT graduates.
Coaching sessions were held via Zoom during the first week of March and Donna and Janet are hoping
To expand their initiative.

Donna’s self help initiative
In response to several requests for Donna to expand her ask the coach and catching up with the coach projects, Donna is presently engaged in preparing to launch her self help initiative.
On March 10 she was a guest speaker on Bob Branco’s in perspective show and callers were very enthusiastic about her initiative.
Donna’s self help initiative includes the offering of her mass database filled with a plethora of tips and tricks not just to blind and vision impaired persons but also to those who need help in finding ways to cope and overcome daily challenges.
This database will be offered at no cost to takers.
And how is Donna planning to make this database available?
Thanks to her trusted friend and developer Aaron DiBlasi, she is planning to use various social media platforms to do so.
Stay tuned for more details.
Donna will be working with Bob Branco to promote this project and thanks Bob for agreeing to work with her.
She is very optimistic that she will also be able to include her mental management course within the confines of the self help project
Along with her privacy and protection course.
Donna has 2 additional courses in mind but will wait to gage interest.
Her friend and associate Janet Perez will be providing advice to Donna on this initiative as it develops and thanks to Janet Donna has contacted Dr. Alan Chase. Alan works for the NC Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) and is the Founder, President and Director of Envisioning Youth Empowerment Retreat (www.eyeretreat.org) .
DR. Alan has readily agreed to work with Donna and has already made some great suggestions for expanding the self help project.
Donna believes that her self help project has lots of potential and she will be updating her readers further in the coming months.
Donna has just received some very exciting endorsement from Ryan Chin, a financial planner with Sunlife Insurance of Canada and Ryan has connected her with some of his associates.

You can start by taking a tour of Donna’s personal diary by visiting
www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com
Donna posts 3 times weekly and her posts gives you great insights into her daily life, challenges, and perspectives as a blind/vision impaired person.

Blogs posted for this month
To the www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog page
The broken complaints system

The Broken Complaints System – No Shocker and No Shaker

The ArriveCan antics continue

The ArriveCan App Antics Continued – And We Can’t Wait to Hear More!

The 60 Million Dollar Faux Pax

The 60 Million Dollar Faux Pax – What More Can We Expect from the Canadian Border Services Agency?

Same old! Same old! The City of Toronto continues to crunch the rights of its citizens with disabilities

Same Old Same Old – The City of Toronto Continues to Violate the Rights of Torontonians with Disabilities

Opening the door to self help

Opening the Door to Self-Help – The Missing Piece

You can also view previous selections here.

Contributions From Founder and Advocate Donna Jodhan

Donna has also posted other articles of interest on her
www.sterlingcreations.com/blog page
for this month.
News round up for February

Read Donna J. Jodhan’s news round up for February 2024 – Donna involves herself with coaching entrepreneurship

Hottest tips from the Sterling Creations Business Desk

See what the Sterling Creations business desk team shares this month

Latest news from the Apple Vis online newsletter

Read the latest accessible apps from the February 2024 Apple Vis online newsletter

A review of the Apple Store in the Fairview Mall

A review of the Apple Store in the Fairview Mall – a store with the true accessibility spirit

A bit of this and a bit of that from Donna’s latest did you know diary

From the pages of Donna’s did you know diary – a bit of this and a bit of that for March 2024

Catch up with Donna’s expert page at

Ask An Expert

and for this month

Ask an Expert – March 2024 – Ten Tips for Learning the Narrator Screen Reader

Read Donna’s author’s tip for this month

Ask an Author – March 2024 – Waiting for Spring

And catch up with previous author’s tips

Ask An Author

Read Donna J. Jodhan’s articles on ask the coach for this month
Ask sight loss Coach Donna J. Jodhan – keeping food fresh in the fridge, omlet makers for the microwave, dealing with spills in the microwave

Ask sight loss Coach Donna J. Jodhan – keeping food fresh in the fridge, omlet makers for the microwave, dealing with spills in the microwave

Read Donna J. Jodhan’s tips and hints for catching up with the coach for this month
Catch up with sight loss coach Donna J. Jodhan – Removing Candle Wax Drippings, Getting Rid Of Ball Point Ink Marks, Tips For The Newborn

Catch up with sight loss coach Donna J. Jodhan – Removing Candle Wax Drippings, Getting Rid Of Ball Point Ink Marks, Tips For The Newborn

Read her latest product review at

See an archive of all of her product reviews at
https://www.toptechtidbits.com/news.html

Listen and catch up with Donna’s shows

Week 1 – ask the blogger
(on bullying;
Tips on entrepreneurship;
Scams and scammers;
Donna’s thought for today;
Week 2 – ask the coach.
Week 3 – ask the home maker.
Week 4 – book and product reviews.
“ask Donna”( )
Ask Donna YouTube Playlist: https://donnajodhan.com/askdonna

“dining with donna”
( )
For January
week 1 – Asian Vegetables And Ham
week 2 – Chicken Florentine In Minutes
week 3 – Confetti Chicken Chili
week 4 – Jerk Turkey Stew
For February
week 1 – 3 Cheese Chicken And Noodles
week 2 – Ham And Cheese Pasta Bake
week 3 – Hearty Chili Mac
week 4 – Ravioli Casserole
Dining With Donna YouTube Playlist: https://www.donnajodhan.com/dwd

Finally!
Donna has resumed posting to the Access to Information News weekly online newsletter
Sponsored by Mindvault Solutions!
The ArriveCan App antics continued

The ArriveCan App Antics Continued – It Could Not Get Any Better Than A Soap Opera

The 60 million dollar faux pax – better than a soap opera

The 60 Million Dollar Faux Pax – This Soap Opera is Gaining More Legs!

Same old, same old! The City of Toronto continues to get away with not providing accessible documents and websites

Same old! Same old! – Time to call out the City of Toronto

To learn more about Donna as an award winning sight loss coach and advocate plus more visit www.donnajodhan.com

That’s it for this month.
Don’t forget to drop me an email at donnajodhan@gmail.com
Don’t be shy! Share your thoughts and feedback!

March 2024

A bit of this and a bit of that from Donna’s did you know diary

Award winning sight loss coach, author and advocate

Welcome to my Donna’s did you know diary for this month and pleased to share the following with you.

Here’s what I learned for this month.

Practical and natural!

• Want to cool down your cup of hot coffee or tea?

It is very simple!

Place a tea spoon in your cup and voila!

The liquid will cool very quickly.

• Looking for ways to better pack your suitcase?

Purchase yourself a pack of packing cubes and these are in various colours and the material is nylon.

There are 4 different sizes and about 8 packing cubes in the pack.

You can now proceed to sort your clothes and pack them neatly in each pack according to the size of your clothes.

They can be rid of air by squeezing down the cube before zipping them up.

They are readily available online and at several stores.

• Want to keep your wine fresh after opening the bottle?

Simply put the bottle to lie down after you have opened and poured out the desired amount of wine.

Either in the fridge or in your cupboard in a dark corner.

• Want to make sure that you do not over eat?

Here’s a quick tip.

Drink one 8 ounce glass of water about half hour before eating your meal.

• Some interesting trivia about cats!

For whereas many of us believe that cats love bowls of milk, that it is what they love,

That it is good for them,

In truth and in fact cats are lactose intolerant!

• When trying to make crackling with your pork!

Rub the skin with a bit of oil before you pop into the oven for baking.

• 3 practical and natural ingredients for an upset or bloated stomach?

Make a tea out of any of the following.

Ginger, garlic, lemon.

• And here are 2 very practical and logical tips for old versus new!

Probably best not to sew a patch onto an old hole in a garment and why?

Because you will find that the new patch will rip away from the old hole.

Likewise, best not to put new wine into an old skin and why?

Because the new wine will burst the old skin.

• What’s this about finding cheaper flight routs?

Yes, this is true!

Booking a direct flight is more expensive than booking an indirect flight!

• What’s this about the benefits of using Salve?

Here goes.

If you want to extract the bad stuff out of boils, bruises, and blisters; here’s what you do!

Put some salve on the offending spot.

Place a bandage over it.

And remove the bandage in a few hours.

Voila! Much better.

A review of the Apple Store
By Donna Jodhan
Award winning advocate and sight loss coach

Introduction:
Despite its constant activity, this store continues to exude top notch service.
It’s just like a huge family gathering when one enters.

So how would I rate their services? With 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest, here are my ratings.
Service desk assistance – 5
Assistance for customers with special needs – 5
Assistance at store – 5

Remarks :
Access to the store was extremely user friendly for a vision impaired person and navigating among the aisles was not very difficult.

About store staff:
Warm, welcoming, friendly, and very knowledgable about their products and what they sell.

Any suggestions?
Keep up your wonderful work!
You are a fine example to the industry!

You can find this store at the Fairview Mall in North York Toronto.

Contact info:
To learn more about me as an award winning sight loss coach and advocate visit www.donnajodhan.com
Visit www.donnajodhan.com and access the coach page to learn about the services that I offer; affordable

Catching up with the coach!

March 2024

4) Best Of Helpful Hints: The Best Of Hints For Carpet

Removing Candle Wax Drippings

* Place a blotter or brown paper bag over the spot and put a hot iron over the blotter. After a few minutes, the wax will be absorbed into the blotter. Repeat if necessary.

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5) Best Of Helpful Hints: The Best Of Hints For Carpet

Getting Rid Of Ball Point Ink Marks

* Sponge with sour milk. When milk is absorbed, apply again until the spot disappears. Make your own sour milk by adding a few teaspoons of vinegar to fresh milk.

* Saturate with hair spray. Allow to dry. Brush lightly with a solution of water and vinegar. Blot up excess.

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1) Best Of Helpful Hints: The Best Of Hints For Children

Tips For The Newborn

* to allow mother a few extra hours sleep, use perfume freely on yourself when baby first comes home from the hospital. Later dab your perfume on baby’s crib sheets or pillow. He/she will smell the mama smell and feel safe and content.

* If baby bubbles a bit after feedings, and must be changed frequently to keep him/her smelling sweet, try this: moisten a cloth with water, dip it into baking soda and dab at the dribble. The odor will disappear.

* Use baby’s infant seat for bathing in the bathtub. Remove pad and buckle strap and place a large folded bath towel in the seat. Place baby in seat, and put in water. Now you can use both hands.

* Keep a heating pad beside baby’s crib and when he/she is up for his night feedings, turn the pad on warm and place on crib matress. When you put baby back down, his/her bed will be nice and warm and he/she will settle down more quickly. Be sure to remove the heating pad.