Earlier this week we found out that 20,000 kids are banned from Facebook every day after trying to sign up for an account. Others, however, lie about their age in order to get access, which can set them up for privacy or safety issues.

If your tot or tween has been begging for the ability to update her status, there are many safe, kid-specific social networks to choose from. These sites follow the regulations of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act, which regulates how much personal information sites can ask from children, among other things. Check out the list of the top social networking sites for kids after the break!

Should warning labels be on artificially dyed foods? The FDA is trying to decide this following a study showing that those petroleum-based dyes found in everything from cereal to candy can cause behavioral problems like ADHD. If the findings worry you, moms who still want to make a colorful treat for her kids can still feed them the rainbow by using natural food dye, which are made from the colors naturally found in certain foods.

If you want to try out natural coloring, making your own can be half the fun of an afternoon of family cooking! Lil ones will love to experiment with homemade color combinations, which use common kitchen ingredients like red cabbage, beets, turmeric, onion skins, and coffee to impart pretty shades of pink, red, orange, and more.

Store-bought dyes are another great option, especially for decorating baked goods. India Tree Nature's Colors come in a pack of liquid red, yellow, and blue ($19) and can be combined to make other colors, while Nature's Flavors sells many different shades in powder and liquid form ($15 each).

While natural food dyes don't give you those vibrant colors that we're used to from artificial dyes, what better time than Spring and Easter than to experiment with different shades of pastels! What natural food dye tricks do you use?

Source: Flickr User AmberStrocel

Mom's choice of what to eat is important both during pregnancy and after baby has arrived. But while everyone warns her of the perils of drinking or caving into her cravings while pregnant, some moms are surprised to find out just how important their diets are when it's time to breastfeed.

A vegan French couple recently found out the sad way. The lack of nutrients in mom's milk meant that their baby suffered from serious vitamin B12 deficiency and eventually died. While the deprivation seems to have been accidental, the couple are now being charged with neglect and could face time in prison.

While the story is alarming, maintaining your vegan lifestyle as a breastfeeding mom is still possible with careful thought about what should be part of your diet. Read on for what you need to know about some essential nutrients after the break.

March is in like a lion, but sunny days will be here soon, meaning long days spent outside with the family. And what is better than background music to go along with your day at the beach? An iPod speaker station is the perfect solution for keeping tots entertained and setting a fun mood.

I tried out the Julius Dance Machine Speaker Station ($100) that Paul Frank had sent over to see if it could, in fact, get the party started. Made for all iPod devices (although adaptors are not included), it easily mounts your iPod and charges it while playing. The speaker dock comes with an adaptor, but also includes a rechargeable battery, meaning it is made for travel.

Who is this designed for? What I liked about this kid-friendly speaker dock was its ease of use — there's only a few buttons, including the volume buttons, which are on the monkey's ears, and the power button at the top of his head.

What sets it apart? At first, I wondered exactly what would make this simple speaker dock a "dance machine," but I quickly realized why it's a good purchase. Moms and dads can take it along to a picnic or kid's birthday party and get up to six hours of playtime on the rechargeable battery.

What did it sound like? The speaker sound was clear, and the volume reached a loud level. I didn't test it outside, but the sound was more than acceptable for such a small speaker station, even though I was at first concerned that some sound may be distorted since the iPod mounts right in front of the speakers. I can imagine that if you were in a noisy area it may not have the power to project far, but its size and portability make it a great option for an impromptu backyard party or a day at the park.

Would I recommend it? I can see how someone who loves the Paul Frank monkey would go bananas over this speaker dock. It's portable, easy to use, and — aside from the impenetrable plastic packaging it comes in — easy to set up.