Mother’s Day is tomorrow! Here are some great gift ideas that Mom will love, some cheap and some not so cheap. Homemade Cards Always a hit! I have an entire collection, going from crayons on construction paper to more fancy scrapbook ones now that the children are older. I especially like the one my daughter […]
Time Saving Kitchen Tips
I love to cook for my family – but I don’t want to spend any more time than necessary in the kitchen. So here are some time saving kitchen tips that help.
Encouraging Families to be Active–Together Counts
My family enjoys doing things together. Well actually my 15 year old daughter tends to whine when we do physical activities together, but she does participate and enjoy it. She just feels obligated to point out that few of her friends are forced to go on hikes or bike rides. We just tell her it […]
Thinking About College and Experiencing Sticker Shock
My middle daughters is in 10th grade this year – which means it is time for her to start thinking about colleges. She has to start prepping for standardized tests and figuring out what she wants to do. Unfortunately she is finding it hard to come up with a list of possible majors. She can […]
Propelled by Curiosity
Everyone has something that motivates and drives them. Of course my family is a big motivation for me, like most mothers. But now that my children are older I have more time to pursue some things just for me, and I have found that the biggest thing that propels me is simple curiosity and a […]
Wordless Wednesday – Dog Sleds
My daughter went to Quebec last week on a French class field trip, and the highlight of the trip for her was going dog sledding.
Progress in Home Organization
This week is winter break week for the schools around here, so all of our outside classes are cancelled. This frees up the 2 hours or so a day I spend driving my kids to classes, so I am actually getting some things accomplished around the house! I sorted through my closet and dresser and […]
Wedding Ring Resizing
What better day than Valentine’s Day to talk about wedding rings! A wedding ring is an important choice because you will be wearing it for years and years. When I got married I picked a narrow gold band with a nice subtle pattern.
A Valentine’s Dinner for Two
Many holidays are meant to be a celebration of family, but Valentine’s Day is a holiday for love. Of course that love could be family and friends, but it’s usually interpreted to mean a celebration of romantic love. It would be wonderful if we could go out and enjoy a restaurant dinner with our special […]
Dodger and the Pantry
We’ve been having trouble lately with our dog Dodger and food. Ever since my oldest daughter went to college Dodger has been stealing food constantly. I think she must’ve been feeding him more than we realized! Dodger has always eaten food off the counter or out of the garbage can. He also regularly rips open […]
Super Bowl Cupcakes
Last night I was browsing around on pinterest and pinning Super Bowl food. I saw some cool desserts, so I decided to make NY Giants cupcakes and cakepops for the game. They didn’t turn out nearly as cute as I was hoping!
Cooking with Kids
I enjoy cooking with my children. It is great to be able to teach them to cook and encourage them to eat healthy foods. Studies show children are more likely to eat a meal if they help prepare it, so it is a fun way to help them learn about nutrition. The other great thing […]
Tips for Safe Winter Driving
The worst thing about snow is having to drive in it. This year we have been very lucky and have had only a small amount of snow, but that is not typical. I live in the Syracuse NY area, which has the highest average snowfall of any city of over 50,000 people. Last year we […]
Sea-Band Nausea Relief Wristbands
My 12 year old son has always suffered from car sickness. His older sisters get nauseous sometimes in the car, but it is much more frequent for him. He rarely actually throws up, but a long trip makes him feel miserable. When he was about 5 years old we discovered the Sea-Band Wristbands, and we […]
Bob Marley Headphones and Christmas Misses
Did you have any big Christmas misses? One of the things on my 15 year old’s Christmas list was Skull Candy headphones. She broke hers about 4 months ago, and rather than spending money on new ones has been borrowing the headphones of everyone else in the house. So I bought her a pair for […]
The Perfect Easy Gift–Gift Cards
If you are still shopping for Christmas presents time is running out! If you are looking for a present gift cards are a wonderful idea, no matter who you are shopping for. I like to give gift cards to many people on my list. Let’s face it, some people are very picky about what they […]
My Favorite Fresh Scent from Nature #SeventhGenerationScents
The variety of scents in nature are astonishing and never fail to amaze me. It seems that any time I venture outdoors there is something to smell, and usually something good. Some scents go beyond just providing enjoyment, they take me back to other times and other places. Of all the senses it seems that […]
Keeping Your Family Cold and Flu Free
One of the worst things about fall and winter as far as I am concerned is colds and the flu. It seems that as soon as the weather turns cooler everyone starts sniffling. Of course it isn’t possible to prevent all colds, but there are some things you can to make them less frequent and […]
