Search Results for: blog do your best and that is good enough

Tips For Gathering And Supporting Family

The month of December includes several holidays, including Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Solstice. Many people enjoy gathering together to celebrate with members of their families during these holiday celebrations. For best results, follow these tips for gathering and supporting family members. Plan Gatherings Around The Most Vulnerable Family Members CNBC News reported advice from Dr. Katrine Wallace, an epidemiologist at the University of Illinois Chicago. Her number one piece of advice is to plan gatherings around the most vulnerable family members. Vulnerable communities include people who are immunocompromised, children, and elderly people. Dr. Wallace listed the following examples of how … Continue reading →

Are You A Snowplow Parent?

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There are many different kinds of parenting styles to choose from. Some of them are very beneficial both to the children and the parents. Others are disadvantageous to not only the children, but also to their parents. Among the worst is the “snowplow parent”. Actual snow is not required for a parent to choose this parenting style. Emma Waverman, writing for Today’s Parent defined a snowplow parent as “a person who constantly forces obstacles out of their kids’ paths. They have their eye on the future success of their child, and anyone or anything that stands in their way has … Continue reading →

How to Make a Family Coloring Book

Are your kids old enough to color? Many kids find coloring to be a fun way to pass the time. It also helps children to develop their small motor skills. Adults can discover that the act of coloring is relaxing. A website called ReallyColor can help you make a family coloring book. ReallyColor can turn your family photos into coloring pages. You pick the photos you want to use. You can create individual coloring sheets – or have ReallyColor put your coloring pages into a unique coloring book for, and about, your family. ReallyColor uses a patented technology that allows … Continue reading →

Pregnant: Am I Doing It Right?

During my pregnancy I’ve felt a couple times like I wasn’t “doing it right.”  Not that I wasn’t taking care of my body or baby properly, but that I didn’t care enough, and that meant I wasn’t going to be very good at this whole mothering thing.  I didn’t feel that way in response to serious events, or in the face of friends with children, or anything like that. It started when I was asked “what’s your countdown?”  I had no idea what the person was talking about.  Apparently it meant how many days left until my due date.  I … Continue reading →

Part 2 : Take It Back, Use It Up, or Pass It On

Don’t let the excess in your life prevent you from living. Gather it from around your home and make it work for you. I am talking about all of the things that you purchased or were gifted but are not actually using. Clothing with tags still on them, cabinets full of health and beauty products, etc. These unused items are a waste of money and space, but they don’t have to be. Yesterday, I talked about ways that you can recover some of the money spent on these items. Today, I’l cover how you can put them to good use. … Continue reading →

What the 50s Housewife Knew

I’ve been reading a lot lately about 50’s era housewives, including a couple of blogs that feature modern women who take on living as though they were still in that era: creating elaborate dinners that often feature gelatin and liver, getting dressed up complete with lipstick before they greet their husband’s good morning, and boiling laundry at the kitchen sink. While I am not quite ready to give up my modern appliances or attitude, there is one thing that I do appreciate about that time period. Everything got used and only disposed of when absolutely necessary. For example, a 50’s … Continue reading →

Some Thoughts on Strollers and Baby Carriers

Over the weekend, we had some very nice weather. Even though the dirt road that we live on is muddy and full of deep ruts, I really wanted to take the boys out for a walk. Dylan really wanted me to take the double stroller out so that he could ride with his baby brother for part of our walk. I thought that it might be fun to see whether our beat up double jogging stroller (which we got from the thrift store last year) was up to the challenge. We enjoyed a wonderful walk, and since the stroller is … Continue reading →

Favorite Recipes

Sometimes it is hard to keep track of all of the great recipes that are our there. Today, I thought I would make it a little easier by linking up some of the favorite Families.com recipes that we have posted over the years. It is a good selection of different kinds of food, from soup to desert, although I have to say that I am partial to the desert. Enjoy! *** The Serious Chocolate Lover’s Chocolate Cake Have you ever seen the gigantic chocolate cake that Costco sells? It is a 5 layer chocolate cake, with chocolatey whipped frosting and … Continue reading →

The Little Things

My daughter’s teacher has the following quote taped on the front of her desk:  “Enjoy the little things in life, for one day you’ll look back and realize they were big things.” Despite seeing the laminated saying each time I walked my daughter to class, it took me a good two months to fully grasp the meaning of that single sentence. As busy parents trying to keep our heads above the choppy waters of life, it’s easy to dismiss the little things our children do every.single.day.  What’s more, it’s even easier to ignore the many opportunities we have to strengthen … Continue reading →

Bird Basics: Finches

If you love birds but don’t have much time for a pet, or prefer to watch birds over handling them, then finches are the perfect bird for you.  They’re not too affectionate and don’t like being handled very much, so they’re the perfect pet for an observer. First a note: as with all birds, it’s best to purchase your bird from a reputable breeder.  Before bringing one home, make sure you’ve located a vet in your area that can treat your bird. It’s important that you get more than one finch, as they are social birds and will need the … Continue reading →