I’d been scratching my head over what to get my 3-year-old for her birthday. As the 4th child, she has plenty of toys already at her disposal. We already have Candyland, dolls and tricycles just waiting for her use. After some careful consideration, I decided to replace something that’s been an enduring toy in… Read more
My baby is turning 3 this weekend! So what to get for the 4th child’s present, when we have so many toys already? Even though the $40 price tag stung a little (were they always this expensive?), I bought a replacement of my favorite kids toy that’s worth every penny- the Magna Doodle. When we… Read more
By Ann Van De Water Over the counter "Swimmer's Ear" drops contain alcohol. The prescription is an antibiotic and does not contain alcohol. I learned this the hard way. My daughter had been complaining of ear pain
By Julie Samrick As a girl I swooned over Christopher Reeve as Superman. I don’t know if it was his strength or that single curl of hair that fell on his forehead. Or maybe it was those goofy glasses he wore as
The first week of summer I wanted to stock up on healthy snacks for our family, but mostly for our four (always hungry) kids. At the time beet chips from Whole Foods seemed like a great new snack idea, that is until I
By Julie Samrick With the exception of homeschooling families, there just isn’t as much time to hang out with kids during the traditional school year like there is during summer vacation. When my older
By Cal Thomas The annual ritual known as the Scripps National Spelling Bee came and went last week with kids spelling words that, I suspect, many with graduate degrees couldn't spell. The winner was Arvind
By Julie Samrick It's no coincidence that Fathers' Day is in June, but could there be a better month for dads to revel in our gratitude? There are barbecues to be had, baseball games to attend, and other fun,
By Julie Samrick My friend made these flower cupcakes for her daughter's birthday party today and I was so impressed I just have to share them with you. This is how she makes them: Bake and frost
By Mario Vittone The new captain jumped from the deck, fully dressed, and sprinted through the water. A former lifeguard, he kept his eyes on his victim as he headed straight for the couple swimming between their
By Lowry Manders I recently heard author Bruce Feiler interviewed on NPR about his book The Secrets of Happy Families and as I listened I thought to myself, “I have got to get a book published!” He is echoing so much of the things I preach (and try to live) about how to create happy ... Read more
By Julie Samrick “Christmas will never be as magical until you have children of your own,” my mother told me sadly after I declared there was no such thing as Santa Claus. When another little girl spilled the news to me at school, first putting any doubt in my head, I quickly lumped the ... Read more
By Erin Kurt Throughout the years of being a teacher, mother and parenting coach, I realized that there are some very powerful phrases, that if used consistently, can be extremely effective when parents are trying to get their child to listen or to get them to do something instantly. Here are ... Read more
