Family Friendly Ways to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day

There are many people who choose to celebrate St. Patricks’ Day by enjoying some alcoholic beverages. Families, however, can find plenty of family-friendly ways to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day with their kids. Here’s a list of idea for parents who want to give their kids something fun to do this St. Patrick’s Day. Wear Green It has been said that a person must wear green on St. Patrick’s Day in order to avoid getting pinched. It might not be a great idea to introduce that part of the holiday to your kids. There are also a lot of people who … Continue reading

Ways for Kids to Celebrate Flag Day

Flag Day is celebrated every year on June 14. It is a holiday that was designed specifically to honor the American Flag. How much do you know about the history of this holiday? Here is a quick review of the history of Flag Day, and some suggestions about how children can celebrate it. The first Flag Day occurred in 1885. BJ Cigrand, who was a schoolteacher, was the first to get it started. This teacher arranged for the students in the Fredonia, Wisconsin Public School, District 6, to observe June 14 as “Flag Birthday”. The date was selected because it … Continue reading

20 Ways to Avoid Independence Day Injuries

Nothing extinguishes Fourth of July fun faster than an injury.  That goes double if your young child is the victim of an Independence Day accident. To avoid the physical pain and suffering associated with a holiday mishap and the added agony of paying sky-high medical bills, consider the following safety tips:   Never allow children to ignite fireworks. Adults should be on hand at all times when children are near fireworks. Always follow the instructions printed on the fireworks’ box. Keep fire extinguishers, water hoses or a bucket of water on hand if you are using any type of pyrotechnic, … Continue reading

Playing the Frequent Flyer Game

Years ago, I enrolled in multiple frequent flyer programs with the hope that I would accrue enough miles to earn free flights.  Nearly two decades later, I’ve scored roughly eight round-trip tickets at no charge thanks solely to miles earned by flying.  Not by staying at select hotels, purchasing meals at participating restaurants, or sending flowers to loved ones using a company affiliated with an airline’s loyalty program. I prefer to earn miles the old-fashioned way: by flying. There has been a growing trend among frequent flyer programs to reward travelers with miles if they patronize companies affiliated with an … Continue reading

Oh The Ways That They Play

As your toddler grows, he or she can learn to play in different and more challenging ways. Teaching toddlers basic games like tag or hide and seek is a fun way to play together and help your toddler learn new things. The other day, I laughed so hard as I started teaching Dylan how to play hide and seek. First of all, it is so cute to hear him counting, even though the numbers are not quite in the right order. Also, since it takes time to learn how to play a new game, he was having a little trouble … Continue reading

Special Needs Blog Week in Review – July 1 – 7, 2012

Once a week, the Special Needs Blog Week in Review gives you a brief summary of each of the blogs that appeared here in the past seven days. This is a fast way to find out about the blogs that you might have missed when they were first posted. The Special Needs Podcast Roundup went up on July 2, 2012. This week, I’d like to point out an episode of The Coffee Klatch podcast. The episode is called “The Best of the Coffee Klatch – Sensory Processing Disorder”. The episode features Dr. Lucy Miller, author of “Sensational Kids: Hope and … Continue reading

Insurance Blog Week in Review – June 24 – 30, 2012

Once a week, the Insurance Blog Week in Review brings you a fast way to “ketchup” on all the blogs that were posted here in the past seven days. There can be anywhere between twelve and fourteen blogs that appear. What did you miss? A Brief Comparison of Health Care Plans Obama’s plan includes coverage for adults and children who have a pre-existing condition. Romney’s plan includes coverage for people who have a pre-existing condition – but only if they have had continuous health insurance coverage. The Insurance Podcast Roundup went up on June 25, 2012. This week, I’d like … Continue reading

Is Safe Always Better?

A few years ago my 9-year-old cousin fell out of a tree and broke his arm. Turns out the reason he was climbing the tree was because my aunt felt it was too dangerous for him to bike over to a local park to meet up with a bunch of his buddies. Rather, she felt it would be safer for him to play in their backyard where she could keep an eye on him. About 45 minutes after she made the call to have him stay home she was dialing 911. Irony. Oh, what a bitter pill to swallow… especially … Continue reading

Winnie the Pooh

One of the favorite stories my father likes to tell about my childhood relates to Winnie the Pooh. When I was young I loved that silly old bear and watched all of my relevant VHS tapes diligently. My father loves to recall how one of my favorite moments was as the narrator was performing his task, Pooh inquires as to the mysterious voice he’s overhearing. “That,” Tigger proclaims with gusto, “is the narrator!” I collapsed into a fit of giggles every time I viewed this scene, according to my father. For whatever reason he loves to tell it, perhaps because … Continue reading

Taking Time to Play

As a single parent the “to do” lists are ever growing. You’re taking on the responsibility of two people. Your time is limited between running the kids to soccer practice, music lessons, birthday parties, and dance recitals. Not to mention the laundry, the cooking, the cleaning, the ironing, the vacuuming, and the countless other items that pile up on a daily basis. You are working and, or going to school; you hardly have time to brush your teeth in the mornings, let alone find the time to make dinner when you get home. So what do you do when you … Continue reading