Blogs & Tips

I just read this article from Kiplinger about fabulous Freebies...from free shipping opportunities to free downloadable music! Great article!

I'm always looking for the perfect lunch box for my kids and this may be it.  I really like the Lunchopolis (the name is cool, too).  The soft, insulated box has plastic containers for all the yummy

I love this article: How to Clean Your Room - it's perfect for kids!  I love that they suggest piling things found on the floor on their bed, as you don't want to sleep on that pile, hence - the pile

Here’s a printout about infant CPR basics from Parenting magazine.

This company is terrific! Four professional moms who wanted to work but be out after school to be with the kids started this employment agency to place other women like them. Very few of us could get a corporation

About 1 million Simplicity and Graco cribs have been recalled after three children became entrapped and suffocated. The recall was announced by the Consumer Product Safety Commission on Friday, more than two years

The T-shirts from Living the Dream are fun!  I just bought the "Beach Cart Mom"...a funny pic of mom descending on the beach with the kids...too funny.  They also have "Cleaning Mom, and

Snappy Baby - Voice email birth announcements is a great idea!  Don't spend your precious time, or your loved ones time with YOU, on the millions of calls (seems like it, right?) you need to make when

Bravo to this fantastic recycling resource site!  Got old smoke detectors, printers, motor oil or even toys?  You want to dispose of these items properly to be gentle to mother earth - Earth 911 is a great

With a new baby and a toddler, it is tough to find activities to keep the older child engaged while nursing the little one. It's so easy to turn to DVDs...and I do, but a healthier option I just discovered that

Great Dad.com is filled with fun and helpful tips and ideas dedicated to Dads. 

If you have ever lived with a dog or cat, you have to read this. It is a hilarious letter to your dog or cat, and whoever wrote it must have been a fly on the wall of my house-I'm sure you will recognize your

Storing and retrieving out-of-season and outgrown clothing was always such a hassle for me. I ended up with loads of too-large, unmanageable, opaque bins. My various attempts at labeling them always failed due

With two kids and two dogs I use the stretch slipcovers made by Surefit to protect my sofa and oversized chair.  I usually have to buy new ones at least once a year so I purchase them from  Overstock.com

100% Dissolvable! This is a great idea!  Glass Plus Dissolvable Refills are quick dissolving little packets of Glass Plus that you add to water, eliminating the need for big refill bottles that can be

There's plenty of literature out there detailing how to care for your new bundle of joy but I was also pleased to have stumbled on this guidance about how important it is to take care of yourself post-partum. 

The lunch boxes from Lap Top Lunches are the Green Solution you're looking for! In these unique bento-ware boxes there is NO waste at the end of a picnic or school lunch.  Our school LOVES them

What did I do before my iGoogle Homepage! I have a new lease on life with all the information that I want on my desktop at ALL times.  I have my weather, dictionary and latest news and gossip.  I even

Feeling overwhelmed with your family schedules? Check out MomAgenda's calendar products. They have unique week-at-a-view layout and great design will help you organize your life. You can even download a free

I found WebMD’s pregnancy calendar to be very helpful when I was pregnant.  It notes facts about each stage, and gives tips and suggestions about common issues in pregnancy.

EMK Press is a publisher of adoption literature and has a great website with lots of information for parents and schools.  There are many guides that you can download on such topics as attachment, homeland

Simple has ecoSneaks that are made with sustainable materials like recycled car tires, recycled plastics and organic cotton - now I call that TREADING LIGHTLY!  Designs are very hip, "California dreamin'"

It seems like I've been going to the grocery store every day this week because I keep forgetting things when I'm there.  So when I saw this "All Out Of" notepad sticks to your fridge

This website has one of those clicky things where, if you go there and click up to once per day, the sponsors will pay for food for homeless pets waiting in shelters. You do not have to open any ads, or even glance

I don't know what happened, but suddenly I'm overwhelmed with spam in my email. I decided to change email addresses, and I switched to gmail, owned and operated by google. I love it! I've been using

Both my toddler daughter and myself suffer from eczema from time to time, throughout the year.  What I found that woks best for her is Gentle Naturals Baby Eczema Cream.  Of all the things I tried (Eucerin

I thought twice about posting this review title...wondering if Familyzip bosses would immediately flag this post...but I'm sure they'll love this truly unique product! MomSpit is a great no-rinse cleanser

This is something that my mom made for me when I was little, and I still have it.  She made an adorable little doll's quilt using pieces of outgrown baby & toddler clothing that she loved.  It's

The CEO of ToysRUs just announced a new safety microsite at to help find all product safety and recall information.  Should make things a little easier to track this stuff.  Seems like there is a

Now that the kids are requiring healthy lunch choices at school - no cafeteria at our school, I purchased the amazing T-Fal Steamer.  This amazing steamer is perfect for our busy lives...and the veggies come

Did you know that Proctor & Gamble has a nice email newsletter [and RSS feed] called Everyday Solutions?  They have articles on Baby & Family, House & Home and much more. But one of the best parts

This looks so useful I just had to share it.  A site that lists 800 numbers for lots of the bigger online corporations.  (You know the ones, who generally bury phone contact info deep in their websites....)

Better Homes & Gardens has a great Jack O Lantern Pumpkin Stencil Maker. It lets you pick the eyes, nose and mouth of your Halloween pumpkin from many options and then print a stencil to create your Jack O

I have been a stay-at-home mom for 7 years. I've had a few consulting jobs along the way but nothing fulfilling enough to make me want to leave my children with a sitter full-time. About a year and a half ago

I bought these at my first trip to Ikea - almost two years ago - and they are awesome. For $5, you get a ton of little "tupperware" containers - many just perfect for a lunch box. I pack my kids lunches

The PBS show Arthur has a new two-part episode about adoption called Big Brother Binky, where Binky’s family adopts a baby girl from China. The episode shows Binky and his family going through the adoption

Lisa, a parent herself, shares her thoughts about “the messages” that seem to work in one instance, and yet don’t in another. We need to be accountable when our children get so angry and lash

I have several light switches and electrical outlets directly above my countertop in the kitchen. We just got new Corian countertops, and I found these Corian light switchplates and outlet faceplates, as well

If you are looking to adopt a retriever, whether it be a Labrador, Golden or a retriever mix, please check out North East All Retreiver Rescue or otherwise known as NEARR.  The non-profit is run by volunte

Even if you have placed your phone number on the National Do Not Call List, you should still sign up for your state Do Not Call List [if your state has one].  AARP has a nice state by state listing of the

The Blue Day Book for Kids is an amazing book that tells a simple little story of why you might feel blue and how to cheer yourself up. There is only a sentence or two per page, plus an awesome, usually amazing

Most teachers know about discount programs at stores like Barnes and Noble, but this week I found out about two cool discounts. Did you know Borders gives 20% off to ALL teachers-including retired teachers, religious

OK, the crew just left and I have a magnificent "new" kitchen. I can't recommend Sears highly enough for cabinet refacing and new countertops. The entire process was simple and pleasant from the first

For an amazing selection of nursing tops, bras, and accessories, check out Motherwear. They are a great one stop shop for all nursing wear. Their tops have clever, hidden nursing openings and really don't

Did you know that Wilson has a database of its cake pattern templates on their website? Many of their pattern books are online for free and you can search by keyword! I searched for bus and came up with a pattern

Do you have a childhood book you wish you could share with your child but you just can't find the book anywhere? Alibris is a great website that allows you to find out of print or just hard to find

The American Library Association has a list of the 10 most challenged library books of 2006. Topping the list is And Tango Makes Three, a book about two same-sex penguins raising an egg together.  Toni Morrison

Check out Points.com, where you can keep track of all your reward program balances, swap your miles or points, gift them to friends and family, book hotel rooms using your points, and redeem points for gift certificates

This is an interesting article about young children called "Easy Nondrug Help Aids ADHD Kids." 

As a first time Mom of a 10 month old and a special education teacher for children ages 3-5 (before Aidan), I want to give you some encouragement about your three year old's first couple of weeks at school.