Blogs & Tips

If you don't know about Freecycle you should check it out.  It is divided up by towns/regions and you sign up for free for an account.  It is almost like Craigslist but everything is free.  Rules

You may have read or heard the latest concerns about BPA chemicals in plastic.  I have attatched a link for an article on WebMd.  I have done some research and everything I have read has had the same tone

Loft Party has the most adorable tableware for kids! I especially like the "chopstick kids" - chopstick utensils with an adorable modification making the utensils easier for the little ones

I have found Baby Aquaphor which comes in a good size tub to be the best and easiest diaper rash reliever, and believe me, I've tried everything!  My son has had diaper rash quite often and I think I've

This is a wonderful article written by a medical journalist (and reviewed by a doctor)  that discusses the six most important foods for women and how many times per week we should eat them.  It's a

Writing a Mission Statement is an essential tool in business. Writing your personal mission-statement can be a personal motivational and goal-setting tool, that can assist you in planning and scheduling your day

Most AAAs have discounts available for Walt Disney World tickets - some clubs offer better discounts than others.  For example, AAA Southern New England offers only one discount - a 5 day Park Hopper (with

A new edition of classic pregnancy guide, What To Expect When You're Expecting by Heidi Murkoff, will be released in April 2008.  It is already on the top pregnancy books list at Amazon and it has not even

Everyone has been telling me how difficult it is to potty train a toddler boy.  I've been potty training my son for the past couple weeks.  Things are coming along pretty well.  I've kept

This is a great website from the famous Mayo Clinic It has a lot of good and helpful information on potty training a child. I remember that potty training for my son was a hard mission, but he proudly accomplished

Rewards credit cards can offer some pleasant savings that nonrewards cards can't. How much you'll make back depends on the card you choose and your spending. Before you shop, find out what kind of rewards

This is such a great website for women. Are you thinking, planning, or hoping for a pregnancy? You will find here no-nonsense advice and information on how to prepare for a healthy pregnancy – and even increase

The Boston Globe has a story that mentions safe ways to dispose of broken compact fluorescent light bulbs to reduce your exposure to mercury.  Here is an excerpt: "If a bulb breaks, get children and

If you are looking to get control over your weight, get organized and do not know how to start, or have children that are fighting each other, the following book is for you! "The Astonishing Power of Emotions"

One Tough Job-that's what parenting is. This website Onetoughjob.org, from the Massachusetts Children's Trust, has information for parents of children from birth to age 18. The website is easy to navigate

The website offers helpful information on kids allowance. An allowance can be a great way to teach your child money management skills. With an allowance, your child can learn how to make decisions, deal with limited

Deciding whether to stay at home with your children or climb the career ladder is one of the toughest choices a mother will make. Some days, staying home seems like the only choice. Other days, you could climb the

More and more fathers today are taking a more active role in the lives of their children. Discover how ten simple things you can do immediately, according to the famous Oprah Winfrey, can have a dramatic

For practical tips on living a healthy, balanced lifestyle, including product and food reviews, recipes, thoughts on wellness, and positive thinking, the LivingPossibilities blog has some great ideas. Regularly

Beginning a routine of meditation, as recommended by many health care professionals, is made easy with the right resources. The website "Learning Meditation" offers a variety of  free, short

If you're a "non geek" computer person like me, who just turns on the computer, surfs the web, makes some purchases, and then encounters "network problems" -HOLD the Prozac, Xantac, vodka

From the website:MatMice is an invite only place to connect with your friends.Create a custom profile, upload & share pics, write blogs & comments, and more.My kids have their own web pages, and do not give

Here’s a great tip my wife told me about the other day. She heard it from a friend of ours in the professional insulation and energy conservation business.  We’re all aware that one of today’s

CNN has a helpful article on how to find reliable medication information on the internet. I work in medical publishing, so I think this is a good guide for laypeople. Here's the short and dirty: 1. Use search

Duck Tape products has a useful and creative section of their website that allows users to post all the unique ways in which they have used duck tape to solve their common household and misc. problems. I admit

I subscribed to women's magazines for years and years, just like my mother used to. Family Circle, Redbook, Woman's Day, and so on are fun to read, and occassionally informative, although they do run the

This article explains how recent research shows that long-time couples benefit from novelty in their date night routines, meaning that couples should seek out different activities from the ones that we usually associate

This recent article in The New York Times outlines why humans and other species play and why it is important.  There are many questions associated with the whys and hows of play and this article admittedly

Tired of focusing on your kids when they are making poor choices? This is a tool that I've used at work with kids living in a residential facility that works great at home with my kids as well. We developed

Indoor air can be up to 10 times more polluted than outdoor air.  Common culprits include benzene (solvent used in gasoline, oil, paints, plastics and rubber), TCE (dry cleaners, printing inks, paints, lacquers

No one likes to do chores, including me and my family. Being aware of the power of labels, I decided to rename our "cleaning time" to "home appreciation time". This simple shift in labeling

Vinegar seems to be my best friend of late!  I have a 14 month old and two dogs and the idea of chemicals/toxins in our home can be a bit scary and overwhelming.  When we begin to climb that mountain of

Map My Run is a great site that allows you to map and plan your run!  You can also calculate mileage, count calories and find runs locally or around the world.  Not only can you map runs, but also bike

We've been composting for many years and we just heard about this great composter discount this past year. We bought the expensive composters from Gardeners Supply Company in Vermont and they are great. But

If you're thinking about composting to be more eco-friendly, read on. If you're composting and have not found the right pail, try this one. We compost even during the winter, but the only thing that makes

Don't wait until you've made your fortune to kick back. Some proven methods can help put your mind at ease and your finances in better shape. Excitement, anxiety and expenses can trap you in cycles of greed

How do you easily get children to step away from the TV and pick up a book? The answer shouldn't always be money. Danielle Wood of Education.com shares helpful advice on how to reward little ones for good behavior

This is put out by the EcoMom Alliance. I especially like item #10- Play more.  It has dual benefits.  Your kids get up off the couch and you get to turn the television off. They also have

Are you wondering if your child is ready for a forward-facing carseat or a booster?  But which ones are the easiest to use and install?  The NHTSA now provides parents a new five-star ratings system that

I had constant nausea for the first two trimesters while pregnant with my twin sons. It was terrible! While I didn't actually get sick often, I constantly felt like I was going to toss my cookies. One thing

I just wanted to let people know about my blog I write for EcoMetro (makers of the Chinook Book). It is focused on environmental, green, eco-conscious-or whatever you want to call it-parenting and households. I'd

While it may seem tempting to use pull-ups, at least with younger children, they tend to hinder the process of potty-training. We started potty-training my daughter around the age of 19 or 20 months. She showed

People ask us why our kids are so well-behaved, and we usually start by telling them this part of our parenting style (there are many other components, of course, to raising great kids). My wife and

Do you just want a quick and easy way to print out a weekly, monthly or annual calendar?  Take a look at ePrintable.  They let you generate printable weekly planners as well as monthly and yearly calendars

Newsweek recently featured a ZERO TO THREE school readiness tool as one of their top picks. "Learning Happens" is described as an interactive tool "designed to help parents and caregivers encourage

I just got a note from our school nurse who was excited to let us know that our elementary school has avoided a lice outbreak this year.  (Hooray!  Little victories, right?).  Anyway - to keep this

Culturelle is one of the most effective strains of probiotic, or good bacteria. Just one little capsule gives you a lot more, and better, good bacteria than yogurt. It's exactly the right amount to cleanse

Want to learn to deal with your love for shopping even in this shaky economy? “How to Be a Budget Fashionista” is a great read for the lady who wants to cut down on her credit card bills, but still

Both of my young children, ages 6 and 8, love this great online game from the MSN free online group of games. Bookworm is challenging, exciting, and very educational. You'll find your kids competing to

My daughter learned to walk and learned to use the potty all in the same calendar year.  :)  Here are some things that helped us with the whole potty training endeavor... We got her a potty seat as