a green clean

Call it virgin hand sanitizer and you'd be right--it has no alcohol! CleanWell All Natural Hand Sanitizers ($2.99 to $3.50) are not only safe to use on your kids but come in convenient pocket sized sprays, wipes, desktop bottles and easy to use foams. Stash one in your handbag, one in your diaper bag, one in your desk drawer and on your foyer table for quick cleaning before entering your home. I love the spray version since you can cover a greater surface area--especially when your kids are busy playing with a toy and don't want to give you the time of day when you're trying to apply it. Plus, the new orange vanilla scent makes your hands smell clean and fresh. Available at Whole Foods Market, select Target stores, Babies R Us, Vitamin Shoppe, GNC, www.Amazon.com, and other retailers.

sleep tight

Is bedtime chaos central at your house? I often give my kids a pre-bedtime bath to "calm them down" but they end up inventing all kinds of new games in the bath and riling each other up instead. So I always need a little extra help getting them to mellow out when they finally hit the hay. The Lulabie® aromatherapy teddy bears ($29.95 each) introduces kids to the "sleep well” ritual from birth on. The Lulabie® teddy bear gift sets include a scented teddy bear with a “sleep well” aromatherapy formula, a short bed time story that tells the story of Lulabie Land and its animals to read to your child before he goes to sleep, and a relaxing music CD. Created by founder Sabrina Polakoff, who knew a good night of sleep was the most precious gift any parent could have, the Lulabie® “sleep well” formula is a blend of aromatherapy and includes 100% pure lavender oil to help calm and relax, orange to calm down, thyme to revive the soul and cardamom to release fatigue and stress. The patent pending scented technology allows for a slow and constant release of the fragrance, so kids can enjoy the aromatherapy scent for months. Choose from Rubie (beige), Rhodie (pink), Saffie (blue), and Selie (brown). Go to www.lulabie.com for more info or www.walmart.com, www.amazon.com and www.target.com to purchase.

guest blogger: Jessica Vitalis of "Stop Pinching Your Sister!"

When Jessica Vitalis put her Columbia MBA on the back burner to stay home with her two daughters, she learned a lot more than her prestigious education had provided. She shares her hilarious anecdotes and practical advice with us all on her blog, Stop Pinching Your Sister (Practical Parenting Advice Based on my Columbia MBA), and offers us all a taste on kidandcaboodle. Her two tips for handling sibling rivalry, shown here, give hope to those of us parents who only have a BA from a state school. Enjoy!

SR #1: My daughter pinched her older sister.

Solution: Tell the older sister to pinch her back. If that doesn’t work, sit on your younger daughter while your older daughter administers a wet willy. Relax, only I’m kidding! In reality, you have a range of options. You can let your younger daughter off with a verbal warning, give her a time out, or revoke a privilege. But if your younger daughter is anything like mine, these methods aren’t going to prove particularly effective. To understand how to best remedy this behavior, it is important to look at the underlying motivations. In my opinion, younger children generally pinch for one of two reasons. One, the older child did something that really ticked them off, or two, they are seeking attention. As backwards as it might sound, young children’s brains are stimulated by attention, and they aren’t particularly discriminating in terms of negative or positive attention. Back to the pinching. The next time your younger child pinches the older sibling, ignore the younger child completely. Rush up to the older child and coddle her extensively, making a show of cooing over her wound, hugging her, and talking about how sad she must feel. This serves two purposes. One, it serves as an indirect method to build empathy in your younger child (younger children don’t always think about how their actions affect other people). Two, it takes the wind out of their sails. Their plan backfired. THEY were the ones who were supposed to be getting the attention, NOT big sister.

SR #2: My older daughter won’t let my younger daughter in her bedroom

Solution: Take the door off. You laugh, but I’m only half-kidding. No doors = no barriers to entry. Doors are, after all, a privilege, not a right. Seem a little too drastic? How about taking the opposite tactic – have them share a bedroom. When my five-year-old started refusing to let her two-year-old sister into her bedroom (on the grounds that she didn’t want her little sister touching her “stuff”), I suggested they start sleeping in one room and using the second for a “play” room. With visions of late-night play dates undoubtedly dancing in their heads, they both gleefully agreed. The situation worked out much better than I could have ever hoped for. The day after their first joint sleeping adventure, I saw my two-year-old run into the sleeping room and grab her big sister’s music box, an event that would have started WWIII just a few days prior. Much to my amazement, my five-year-old walked up to her and said, “That’s O.K., there is no more ‘mine’ and ‘yours’ not – there is just ‘ours!’"

Read more tips from Jessica Vitalis on www.jessicavitalis.com.

beauty resolutions: let it rain!

It's a new year and one of my top beauty resolutions is to drink more water. It's good for your waistline, your mind, your hair and your skin. The problem is, I need a drink with a little more flavor to get me motivated to stay hydrated. The TalkingRain Beverage Company comes to the rescue with two new, natural options for flavored water: actiVwater, a vitamin-infused versions for health-conscious, active types that offers half the calories of its competitors (only 25!), and twist, a healthy alternative lightly sweetened with organic agave nectar (nothing artificial) for the rest of us (only 9 calories!). The best part: There are plenty of flavors to choose from: Twist comes in Mandarin White Tea, Pomegranate Blueberry (light and fruity), West Indies Lime, Mango Acai, Marionberry, Mandarin, Peach and Lemon; ActiVwater comes in Black Berry, Triple Berry, Pomegranate Berry, Tropical Citrus, Strawberry Kiwi (my fave) and Dragonfruit. It's the best way to get your daily dose of vitamins and supplements. Choose your favorite drinking water from this great selection. Both brands are available nationwide and online at www.talkingrain.com ($1.29 - $1.49 for each 19 oz. bottle).

holiday looks: foot fetish

So you've been on your feet all day...and you're still expected to wear heels all night long at that New Year's Eve party. Don't shy away from your favorite pair of stilettos. Amazing Arches ($6.95 per pair) from Foot Petals will cushion your feet and make you feel comfortable way past midnight, giving footwear that previously didn't work for you a second chance. The extra padding sticks to your shoes and cushions every part of your foot, creating a virtual arch for flat feet and offering much-needed stabilization. The best part: It works with your body's natural shock absorption system to reduce foot fatigue. Go to www.footpetals.com to purchase a pair. But don't check out before grabbing a pair of Heavenly Heelz ($4.95-$18.95) too. They are total lifesavers! I recently went to a store to buy a pair of high heels I was eyeing for months. When I tried them on, my heel kept slipping out of the back of the shoes. Thanks to Heavenly Heelz, I can step out in style once again.

holiday looks: wow brows

The good news: The 'rents have decided to babysit so you can go out on New Year's Eve. The bad news: There's no time for a brow wax in between Gymboree class and diaper changes. For a quick way to look fuzz-free, try Parissa Mini Wax Strips for Eyebrow Design ($8.99). They're the simplest, mess-less, quickest way to clean up your brows in no time flat. Plus, they come with an easy-to-follow guide for face shapes to make brow waxing a snap. Look for them at Target, Duane Reade, Whole Foods, Wild Oats, Ulta and online at parissa.com and myperfectbeauty.com. While you're shopping, check out the entire Parissa collection and dare to go bare elsewhere too.

holiday looks: the updo

Running from work to holiday party with no time to spare? Forego the blow-dry and spend $3.99 on the Goody Ouchless Updo Barrette at your local drug store. Available in large or small sizes, this soft, flexible clip gently grips your hair for long-lasting style and comfort. The no-metal hinge and clasp design eliminates hair breakage and the soft plastic means you can lean back and relax. Just gather hair in back, twist it in your hand then wrap it into a loose bun at the back of your head. Clip into place and let front strands hang loose. Now you're ready to party. Go to www.goody.com and pick your favorite clip.