Ideas for Easter Fun Without the Calories

Want to serve up heaping helpings of holiday fun without spending a ton of money on high-fat, high-sugar, high-calorie Easter treats that’ll turn your kids into Energizer bunnies? Take a look in a book. These adorable Easter reads are the perfect addition to a sugar-free holiday basket or a great way to bond in bed with your child as you countdown to Sunday’s visit from the gift-bearing bunny: Easter Bunny on the Loose!:  A Seek and Solve Mystery There’s an emergency in Easterville and your kid gets to play detective.  Wendy Wax and Dave Garbot team up for this fun-filled, … Continue reading

Get Creative with Valentine’s Layouts

Love Day has come and gone, though the memories will linger for a lifetime, especially if you scored a serious sparkler and a marriage proposal on February 14th.  Even if your sweetie didn’t get down on one knee this Valentine’s, you shouldn’t let the holiday go by without crafting at least a single page layout detailing the day’s highlights.  However, rather than employing the same ol’ trite scrapbooking techniques, consider getting a little creative with the following ideas: Choose a Theme:  So, you didn’t get the five-carat diamond tennis bracelet you had your heart set on for Valentine’s Day.  Surely, … Continue reading

My Funny Valentine

Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be dripping with lovey-dovey prose and high-octane romance in dark secluded spots.  For many families, February 14th is a time for love and laughter. If you are looking to create a Love Day layout for your funny Valentine, consider peppering the page with the following humorous quotes and poems: You know it’s love when you want to keep holding hands even after you’re sweaty. You can’t put a price tag on love, but you can on all its accessories. Love is a lot like a backache, it doesn’t show up on X-rays, but you know … Continue reading

Love Between the Pages

… or sheets… or blankets… or flannel footie jammies. There’s no better excuse to snuggle up with your child than storytime.  And there’s no better type of book to curl up with as we countdown to Valentine’s Day than a love-themed read. As February 14th nears, consider cuddling up with your little sweetie and embracing these kid-friendly Love Day titles: Splat the Cat:  Funny Valentine The black furball with a heart of gold is at it again.  Splat wants to give his teacher a special Valentine’s gift and enlists the help of his friends to execute his plan, but will … Continue reading

Start Your Own Genealogy “Newspaper”

Have you heard of Paper.li? I just recently started looking at it. You can use it to create a newspaper of articles, photos, and videos that interest you. In other words, genealogists can make their very own Paper.li newspaper and then share it with other like-minded people through social media. Start by visiting the Paper.li website. It will ask you if you want to sign up (or log in) through Twitter or through Facebook. I picked Twitter (since I am no longer using Facebook). Next, you will be asked if you want to authorize Paper.li to use your account. The … Continue reading

Let’s Make 2013 a Great Year for Getting Out of Debt!

Happy New Year! I just know that 2013 will be a great year for getting out of debt. We can do this. Let’s size up our debt and then knock it down little by little until we end the year richer and more financially stable. It may take a little sacrifice, but it can be a lot of fun, too. Getting out of debt is going to be a fantastic New Year’s Resolution that will help us make some real progress for our family. Don’t Worry about the Past We may have made some wrong choices along the way, but … Continue reading

My New Mom Obsession – Old Children’s Books

I’ve got a confession to make – I am thoroughly obsessed with old children’s books. When I read to my boys at bedtime, we choose from a varied selection of books that we borrow from the library and books that we own. Some of the books I like, others not so much. Then there are a few that are just amazing, and those tend to be the ones that were written and published years before I was even born. I am unsure why those older books are so captivating, but they are. Dylan seems to enjoy them too, and for … Continue reading

A Roundup of Resources About Autism

Parenting, in general, is a situation that involves asking a lot of questions. What’s the right thing to do in this situation? What milestones should my child have made by now? Is that “normal”? Parents of children who have autism can consult some of the following resources. The answer to your question may be hiding in there, somewhere. It is fairly easy to go online and find general parenting advice for children who do not have any types of special needs. It’s not as simple to locate online resources that can advise parents of children who have autism, or that … Continue reading

Can Your Homeschool Blog Earn Money? {Part 2}

In part 1 of, Can Your Homeschool Blog Earn Money?, I covered how to create a blog posts that attract readers.  Creating good content is the first step to creating a quality blog.  I cover this in Blogging Tips and Tricks as well.  Today, I want to cover a few more background areas before discussing opportunities, so hang in there.  When I say profitable with regards to your homeschool, I do not simply mean financially. Let’s start by exploring what makes a good homeschool blog. The competition is fierce.  While you need to be aware of what your competitors are … Continue reading

My Insurer Mentioned a Weight Loss App

Does your health insurance company send you helpful little newsletters? Mine does. This time, the newsletter included information about a weight loss app. Health insurance companies have an intrinsic interest in helping their customers be as healthy as possible. My health insurance company sends me newsletters from time to time. The purpose of the newsletters is so the insurer can send customers information and advice that they can use to improve their health and to stay healthy. Insurance companies have an intrinsic interest in helping their customers to have good health. People who are healthy don’t need to visit a … Continue reading