Recently, a controversial paper by researchers in the UK claimed that screen time did not adversely affect childhood development. It was an ambitious paper, and it’s hard to tease out all the different factors in how screen time affects growing brains. But the study did highlight one key point: kids and technology time aren’t always a
Kids And Technology: Maximizing Learning Potential Read More »
Parents are kids’ first and most important teachers, especially in a child’s early years. We sing to them, we talk to them, we read to them. We teach them how to dress themselves and clean up their toys. We practice their alphabet and counting, their color recognition and spelling words with them. And we teach
Teaching Your Child Good Personal Hygiene Read More »
Kids need responsibility. It helps them to grow and develop. It teaches them how to look after things, and the value of goods and experiences. Learning responsibility as a child prepares them for adult life and shows them more about how to look after themselves. But finding age-appropriate ways to teach them about responsibility –
Tips for Teaching Your Kids Responsibility Read More »
For many families, buying a home is the biggest investment they will ever make. And if you’re going to make an investment in something, you’d be nuts to then throw your money out the window by not properly maintaining that investment. That’s why protecting the investment you’ve made in your home should be a top
Protecting Your Home As An Investment Read More »
Moving is one of the most stressful experiences people can undergo. There’s just something unnatural about packing up everything we own, and locking the door to our former home for good. But the actual packing process has got to be my least favorite part. My recent post about streamlining this process through advance planning really
My Top Packing-To-Move Hacks Read More »
Many of us start the new year by making some promises to ourselves. (Many people call them resolutions, but as longtime readers know, I prefer to set goals.) One of the more common goals people make, after the excesses of holiday food and drink, is to live a healthier and more active lifestyle. But many
The Secret of Realistic Fitness Goals Read More »
Ask most kids to list their favorite days of the year, and many will put their birthday somewhere high on the list. For many kids, their birthday is a special time of year filled with awesome traditions and routines, from cake and presents to a party with all their friends. However, if you’re a parent trying
How To Plan A Kiddie Birthday Party, Made Easy Read More »
Is your home’s air making your family sick? Knowing the consequences of poor indoor air quality is the first step to improving the air your family breathes at home. And improving your indoor air quality at home will help make your whole family healthier in the weeks, months, and years to come. I speak from
Is Poor Indoor Air Quality Making Your Family Sick? Read More »
Selling a home is a complicated and often stressful process. But do you know how to get your house ready to sell? If this is the first house you’ve sold, there are many aspects of the process that probably aren’t even on your radar screen. And selling a home when you have children who still
How To Get Your House Ready To Sell Read More »
Are you considering selling your home soon? Before you place it on the market, or even meet with a real-estate agent, it’s never too early to start thinking about how potential buyers will see your home. There’s no way to make up for a bad first impression. How your home looks from the outside will
Improving Your Home’s Curb Appeal, Made Easy Read More »
The new year is almost upon us; what are your goals for 2019? Is becoming a first-time homeowner on your list? If so, you need to know what to expect from the financial journey ahead of you when getting your first mortgage. Having purchased two homes now (first as a single gal, and later with my
Getting Your First Mortgage in the New Year Read More »
The new year is almost here; are you already contemplating your new year’s house projects? Maybe one of the things on your to-do list is renovating your attic. You may need better storage space, or want to add a home office. This is what we did in my husband’s old house after we got married,
Things To Consider When Renovating Your Attic Read More »
Before you became a parent, you probably could make a grocery run in no time flat, or cram a morning’s worth of errands into an hour. Whenever you needed more milk or eggs, you could grab some – no biggie. But the days of doing errands with ease are long gone. You run through your
Errands With Ease With Your Kids Read More »
It’s hard to have missed the memo on the detrimental impact that human behavior is having on the planet. Our planet. My kids came home from their half-day of school on the Friday before Christmas and donned not their snow gear (as one might expect where we live), but shorts and T-shirts! It’s no wonder that so
Eco-Friendly Homes: How To Have One Read More »
Now that the end-of-year holiday season is in full swing, many of us are traveling to see family and friends. This can often mean leaving our home unattended while we’re away. We like to think nothing can ever go wrong while we’re away, but this is a perfect time for thieves to take advantage of
Tips To Keep Your Home Safe From Burglars Read More »
Whether this is your first child or your third, considering what you need to include in the nursery is one of the most exciting things about your pregnancy. Most mothers fill that nine-month wait with prep and planning for every moment of Baby’s life. But no matter how much time they spend designing their nursery, many
Is Your Nursery Ready for Nighttime Feeds? Read More »
Do you struggle with keeping your school-age kids occupied? Do you worry that they spend too much time with video games, smart devices, or TV? Are you already nervous about them going stir-crazy over the upcoming winter break? Maybe they just need a little creative inspiration. These ideas for creative ways to have fun are
How to Keep Kids Busy: Ideas for Creative Fun Read More »
My mama is famous for her Christmas baking. Every year she bakes loads of Christmas cookies, of every possible variety. Some are on a perpetually-refilled platter, ready to serve any guests who stop by. Others, she gives to friends, family, and neighbors in pretty tins. So this is a tradition I now carry on with
Grandma’s Shortbread: Deliciously Simple Shortbread Recipe Read More »
Let’s face it, being a homeowner is not for the faint of heart. When you rent, you call your landlord every time something needs fixing. But when you own, YOU’RE the landlord and YOU’RE the one whose dollars and time need to go into making that fix happen. It can be tempting to try to
Should You DIY Or Call A Pro? Read More »
Many of us think of our family home as a place of refuge from the outside world. It’s where people retreat to at the end of a long and stressful work day, or a hectic day of errands and crowds and road rage and lines and waiting rooms. It’s where we recharge our batteries and
How To Make Money From Home: 7 Tips For Success Read More »
