General Articles

Ready for anything: Preparing your family for disasters

Negative Nancy has a plan; an honest to goodness checklist one for every emergency scenario imaginable. She’s my neighbor, and for a while, I hated her organization, forethought and ability to make me look irresponsible. Then, one day my smoke alarm went off and I realized that Negative Nancy had the right idea all along. We [...]

Natural ways to treat sunburns, bug bites, stings and cuts

For just pennies an ounce compared to store bought remedies, you can use Essential Oils to treat all your minor summer-time injuries in a safe, economical and effective way. Bug bites and stings For bee stings, first remove the stinger and clean the area with diluted bicarbonate soda. For a wasp sting, clean the area with either [...]

A parent’s guide to first-aid for kids

For parents, first-aid comes with the territory of having children. Here is a guide to a few of the most common injuries and what you should do. First-aid for scrapes and cuts Minor flesh wounds can bleed a lot, especially on the face. Don’t panic. Rinse the wound under clean water so you can see what you’re [...]

Getting your kids to eat healthy food…without tricking them!

The best time to get your children to try new foods is when they are hungry. Let’s face it, everything tastes better when you are hungry. If you want them to try a nutritious snack food that you think they may not like, give it to them right after school. My kids are starving when [...]

Tips for lowering child care costs: Flexible Spending Accounts to flexible scheduling

Child care costs are astronomical in some areas of the United States, and can significantly vary depending on where you live. Before returning to work, consider these tips to lower child care costs. Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts Invest in a Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account : Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (DCFSA) “allow you to be reimbursed [...]

The best formula for your baby

One of the most personal decisions a woman must make with her impending motherhood is whether or not to breastfeed her baby. While breast feeding is proven to be the healthiest option, using baby formula is a safe alternative for women who lack the physical capability or time necessary to breast feed. Knowing the healthiest [...]

Mommy moments: If the potty fits, use it

My daughter, Brandi, was a precocious child. She was communicating in complete sentences by the age of ten months. “Mommy, watch me. Mommy, I want… Mommy, come see. Mommy, mommy, mommy.” Once she learned to speak, she never let up. I must say that she impressed strangers everywhere we went. Because Brandi was such a bright [...]

Keeping in touch with friends

In addition to occasionally forgetting your spouse’s name, among the more troublesome side-effects of becoming a parent is losing touch with your friends, especially if they have kids, too. After a day of battling diapers, homework, and trips to the grocery store, most of us are too tired to pick up the phone, never mind [...]