When I was a young pregnant mother-to-be, I’d never even heard of “kangaroo care.” Sure, I’d planned on cuddling my baby once she was born, and looked forward to breastfeeding and bonding with her. But when she was born early—at just over 25 week’s gestation—everything changed.

During the first two weeks, I could not touch her aside from stroking her tiny, see-through arm softly through the incubator. This ultimately broke my heart more than so much else did at the time—not being able to touch her, to be connected with her, as we’d been for months (for a lifetime, if you count her status as an egg in my body!).

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Though we took our child to one yard sale last year, she didn’t really remember it and was excited to go on a yard sale-ing adventure recently. We let her empty out her bank, which had about $20 in dimes, nickels, and quarters in it, and put it in two change purses for her to take with us. We set off for adventure, and we weren’t disappointed.

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In honor of my absolute favorite grain, here are some fun things to do with rice.

Cook some. Rice month wouldn’t be rice month without a rice meal. Go with something new and completely different. If you normally make pilaf, try some healthy brown rice. If you make Spanish rice with enchiladas, try an Indian curry with basmati rice instead. Try one of these recipes for risotto, pecan rice, and other flavors.

Throw some. Don’t throw rice outside, since it presents a hazard for birds. Instead, throw it inside for a pretend wedding. (Use a small amount for easy clean-up and the least amount of waste.)

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Since September is Baby Safety Month, it makes sense to keep a baby’s safety in mind when presenting new parents with gifts. Of course, it’s always a good time to think about keeping baby safe and healthy.

One of my favorite gifts to include with any new baby gift bag is a set of protective outlet covers. Not only are these very inexpensive, but they’re also something that can be used for many years. I know lots of families go through them. Sometimes when you take one out to vacuum and misplace it, you just need a few spares on hand. And since my middle sister put a utensil in a socket as a child and received a very scary charge, I know how important it is to keep those things covered up until kids are old enough to know better. Drawer latches can come in handy, too.

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At first I was not quite sure what to think when I found this on Meritline but after some serious consideration I am pretty sure everyone should own the Small Tricky Opening Magic Wooden Box with Extra Secure Secret Drawer and here is why: it is totally cute! This would be a great way to "wrap" up some small presents you have been meaning to give and I bet the kids would love it! It is kind of like a puzzle in the way it opens up and is "locked" by three separate locking mechanisms. This would also be a great little decoration as well - I think if you got 2 of them they would be neat little book end. The box features a real drawer inside for you to keep any small items safe.

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Can you remember a time when you needed a White LED light, Laser Beam, and a Blue LED light - all at the same time? You are in luck because the fine people at Meritline have got your back! I assume once you have it that this little dingy-doo here will solve all of your future laser and LED needs! If you use coupon code MLCK600403083051NL1 (limit of 1000 uses for coupon; normal price $2.69) you can get this little keychain for only $0.99 (in a randomly selected color - either red, black, or blue).

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Ramona* is a Personal Care Assistant for a company that specialize in children with special needs. Here are a few insights she has agreed to share about this career.

How did you become a Personal Care Assistant?

I was looking for jobs in the health care industry because I’m interested in that field.

What does your job entail?

There are a lot of things, actually. With the little boys I work with now, I help them become more independent and learn how to do things on their own. I help them with chores, trying to keep their attention spans—they don’t have long attention spans, so we try to focus on one thing at a time. Since they’re young we work with writing, spelling, tying shoes, reading, using proper toilet, shower, and hygiene methods.

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Though I’ve worked in the fast food world as well as a small town convenience store, I’ve never handled customers in a department store or other retail setting. What is it like in this type of job? Maria*, a Customer Service Associate for a large nationwide store, shares some insights.

How long have you worked at your store?

Since high school, so about six years.

That’s a long time—did you plan to stay at this job?

No, it’s actually my first job. I went to college while I worked, but nothing really ever opened up in my area. As I worked, I just kept moving up, so it made sense to stay here, at least for now.

Do you enjoy working here?

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Are you a champion of sexual and reproductive justice? Is freedom of choice one of your key issues? Do you want to help stop the government from placing laws on women’s bodies—and to help make sure every young person has access to accurate information about sex? If so, you might want to apply to become the next Choice USA Field Director.

As the Choice USA Field Director, you will be responsible for organizing important campaigns, planning training operations, managing budgets and staff, and serving as a representative of Choice USA in your everyday life. Applicants should have experience in campaign organizing, as well as ample creativity and a fierce dedication to reproductive and sexual justice.

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