It’s Time To Get Mindful

Lately it seems as though my days have been marked by many little incidents where I have become frustrated with my toddler’s behavior. It seems as though I snip and scold and nag him all day long and I do not like it. While I would like to encourage good behavior, I think that I am going about it all wrong. It is time for a new approach, one that is less about constant attempts at discipline and more about finding the joy that I know parenting can be. I think that I have figured out what is missing from … Continue reading

Getting Organized

Whereas I miss spending lazy summer days with my seven-year-old, I have to admit there are some perks to having her out of the house and back in school. If you’ve ever attempted to clean your kids’ rooms while they are in it, then you know what I’m referring to. Try sorting through mountains of old art projects in an attempt to save some and toss the rest, and you know that the task can be akin to Chinese water torture. “You’re throwing that away!” my little Picasso screams each time I try to recycle even the most obscure art … Continue reading

Be Healthy Together

Obesity may be “contagious” — less like a disease and more like a case of monkey see, monkey do — but so is good health. Here are some statistics, thanks to studies from Duke and Yale Universities: If you exercise regularly, your spouse is twice as likely to exercise, too! If you get your cholesterol tested regularly, your spouse is twice as likely to get tested, too! If you quit smoking or drinking, your spouse is more than five times as likely to do the same within four years. If you get a flu shot, sixty percent of spouses will … Continue reading

Get Ready for Swimsuit Season

Is your body ready for swimsuit season? If not, why not start getting into shape now? Are there some dietary changes you can make that will give you the results you want? If you start now, you will have time to lose weight slowly and safely. By the time you’re ready to splash in a pool or stroll on a beach, you will have given yourself and your body time to adapt to a healthier way of eating. So, where should you start? Devise a plan of action. Do you know how much weight you want to lose? Do you … Continue reading

Adoptive Parenting Traits, Part 3

This is the third blog in a series that discusses the traits that an adoptive parent of a special needs child must have. The parent must be mindful that recovery and restoration from the child’s past may not be immediate and that some damage may never be fixed. We all like to think that lots of love and the best that modern medicine can provide will make things right. The problem is that it just doesn’t always happen. We have adopted five maternal brothers. The oldest four came to our home about four years ago. One of the children is … Continue reading

What is “Lazy Parenting” ?

There are a variety of parenting styles to choose from. Most people pick the one that their own parents used, or they select a style that they feel best fits their family. “Lazy parenting” is an option. It may sounds neglectful – or even dangerous – if you are unfamiliar with how it works. Oddly enough, so called “Lazy Parenting” may actually be more intensive, and difficult, than other parenting styles. No one wants to be called “lazy”. The word has a very negative connotation! One might assume that “lazy parenting” is a style selected by slacker parents who don’t … Continue reading

Be More Compassionate at Work

People who are under a great deal of stress tend to forget to be nice to their coworkers. This is a very human reaction to being tense, overwhelmed, or scared about the future. One way to make your workplace less awful is to be more compassionate at work. If you really don’t feel like it – then it is even more important that you rediscover your compassion. Times are tough. You and your coworkers might be struggling to finish a big project in the days before its deadline. There might be quotas that each worker must achieve. Someone calls in … Continue reading

Mega Morning Sickness

Kate Middleton’s baby is due to arrive any day now. The royal newborn will make the Duchess and Prince William first-time parents. It’s hard to tell who is more excited about the impending birth—Kate and Wills or the paparazzi. Middleton is said to be counting down the days to motherhood by clothes shopping near her parents’ home. Her retail therapy is a far cry from her hospitalization for severe morning sickness earlier in her pregnancy. Duchess Kate admitted to suffering from an acute form of morning sickness called hyperemesis gravidarum.  The serious-sounding condition can level even the toughest moms-to-be.  Doctors … Continue reading

Be Smart When Dealing with Discounts

Paper coupons, online coupon codes, group rates, and military discounts are spectacular ways to save big bucks when traveling to amusement parks.  However, not all discounts are authentic.  Each year, thousands of complaints are filed with the Better Business Bureau regarding counterfeit deals.  To protect yourself from getting ripped off this summer, consider the following: Research:  When you see a coupon that appears too good to be true, go online and check it out.  Sites such as RipoffReport.com feature fraudulent coupon offers.  The popular website also gives tips on how to avoid using expired coupon codes.  It also has a … Continue reading

Parents Needed More Than Ever

I used to think the ideal years for being a stay-at-home mom was when the kids are very young, before they ventured off to school.  These are the years where so much forming and shaping of their lives takes place. Yet I have come to see another stage in life to be just as important.  It is during the teen years.  So often parents see this as their time…after all, teens are independent and don’t seem to need mom and dad as much as they used to. Whether the issue is staying home or just being available, too many parents … Continue reading