Articles written by Amanda Giannaros

What is Helium

About me - Amanda Giannaros

I am a 24 year old stay at home mom. I have always enjoyed writing and am thrilled to have found a way to exercise my writing muscles. I left my job as a gymnastics instructor after the birth of my daugter in May of 2009 and relocated with my husband to Northern

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Parenting & Pregnancy > Babies (Other) Tips for naming your baby: 2 of 20
William Shakespeare wrote in the famous balcony scene of Romeo and Juliet, "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would sound as sweet." This may be true of flowers, but what of people? Would Sarah grow up to be the same person if she were named Beatrice? What parents choose to call their children has ... More..
Arts & Humanities > Languages (Other) Does learning sign language negatively impact a child's speech development?: 1 of 9
Baby sign language is a phenomenon that is sweeping the nation. Daycare, schools, and other developmental programs are teaching signs to babies as early as six months of age. While some parents may think "Great! I can finally understand what my baby is trying to tell me", others are skeptical. Some believe that teaching a bab... More..
Society & Lifestyle > Mythology & Folklore What is a leprechaun?: 5 of 38
Irish folklore tells of many different magical and mystical creatures, one of which is the leprechaun. This story has had many a child chasing rainbows for centuries, trying to get to the end and find the pot of gold. The image of the leprechaun has been greatly altered to benefit the media. Children grow up eating cereal mar... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Childbirth & Labor Homebirth vs. hospital: things to consider: 4 of 22
Where is the best place for a baby to be born? Is a home birth ideal, or is a hospital the better choice? Or maybe something halfway between the two, a birth center? This question is one expectant parents mull over very early on in pregnancy, as it determines what kind of care they will seek. The answer is that there is no ri... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Pregnancy What do Braxton Hicks contractions feel like?: 2 of 11
There is an old adage that says "practice makes perfect". Nothing rings truer than practice in preparation for a baby. As soon as parents to be find out they are expecting, they begin to practice for the new life that awaits them. They practice swaddling, changing diapers, infant CPR and first aid; they even practice breathin... More..
Pets & Animals > Pet Ownership How to keep your pet on the right side of your landlord: 2 of 10
As landlords, my husband and I always cringe when people put pets down on apartment applications. We do not dislike pets, as a matter of fact my house has been referred to as "wild kingdom" on several occasions. We love animals and own many, it's the animal owners who make us think twice about renting to them. We are not worr... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Politics, News & Issues (Other) Why pets are suffering from the failing economy: 3 of 11
Anyone who has seen a newspaper recently, or tuned in to television news or radio stations know one thing about our current economy, it's not good. People are cutting back in every possible area, pinching those pennies and stretching those dollars. We think, "it wont hurt me to go without five extra pairs of shoes", and "I ca... More..
Creative Writing > Memoirs Memoirs: My great, true, personal garden story: 147 of 391
The Great Outdoor Battle began in 2006. It was the first really warm day of May and I was itching to get outdoors. My yard wasn't too bad, I just had a planter or two full of weeds that needed to be dug out and flowers put in. I live in Seattle so I dusted off my Northwest Gardeners Almanac and started picking flowers that wo... More..
Celebrations & Holidays > Wedding Party & Guests Wedding: Creating your guest list: 5 of 11
Cousin Mel and Great Aunt Nell, that's what wedding guest lists are made of. Planning a wedding is a very exciting thing. It's a lot of work and probably one of the most stressful things a couple will have to do is come up with the guest list. There are several things to consider when deciding who to invite to your wedding. H... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Childbirth & Labor Humor: Delivery stories: 24 of 49
The first lesson my daughter taught me is, you won't go into labor until you stop trying to go into labor. I had spent two weeks trying to naturally induce labor. I ate spicy Thai food every night, my husband and I walked miles trying to get contractions to start. On my due date we said forget it, she's obviously not coming o... More..