Blogs & Tips

The Best Silhouette Portraits Last fall, we had silhouette portraits done of the kids at a local fair. Now we are addicted. I should have started doing these annually when the kids were babies.... I highly recommend

I used Trumba for a year and really liked it. But when they wanted me to renew for $100, I decided to look at all of the free web calendars out there first. I’ve switched to Google Calendar and it is working

I just put bath toys in a mesh bag used for washing your unmentionables. Then, I hung the bag on a suction cup hook that I picked up at Target. It's inexpensive and lets the toys air out a bit between baths

This is a wonderful book if you want to learn more about the benefits of yoga for you baby/toddler.  It is a great alternative to paying for an expensive class!

Do you fear the library because you're not sure how much in overdue fines you have on your library card?  Are you not sure how many books you even have checked out or when they are due?  Worry no

When I'm desperate and in need of a quick, informative answer to a question about kids health and development I alway visit this site first.  Dr. Greene has a "warm and fuzzy" approach (which

This article summarizes why it is now recommended to offer babies a pacifier at bedtime for the first year of life.  It also offers other tips in preventing SIDS.  A worthwhile read.

The Mom Central website, run by author Stacey DeBroff, is full of secrets, tips and hints by and for moms. It has just about everything, including links to two of DeBroff's books. One is to help you organize

Here's an easy organizing idea that I relied on when the kids were little. Buy an accordian folder with 12 or more dividers. Decorate as desired. Label the dividers with the months. Now, every time you do a

Our three kids have their favorite and least favorite chores on "major cleaning day", but it's not always fair to let them choose. I write down each chore on paper, drop them into a basket, and each

I love this artist.  Her name is Ann LaVigne and she's local (Boston).  Her drawings are so much fun.  I ordered the "Monkey with Guitar" for my daughter's room and now we have

When all you've done is talk to and about babies and toddlers all day, you really start to understand the phrase "use it or lose it." To prevent losing your brainpower, wait until everyone is asleep

This is an incredible website with hundreds of things to do if you are bored. Most take just a minute or two, but some are completely addictive. They range from silly to bizarre, to absurd to cool. There is even

It is not uncommon to suffer the "baby blues" following the birth of your baby.  During the first one to two weeks you may find yourself tearful, having mood swings, being irritable (that's me!)

I highly recommend the book, Touchpoints - by T. Berry Brazelton, MD.  I actually read his book when I was a young early childhood major in college and fell in love with his work.  Now I read his books

I have found the following magazines to offer great ideas for moms and families.  There are alot out there and here are just a few: FamilyFun Mom and Baby Nick Jr. Family Parenting Parents Brain, Child

Maybe she needs more sleep! When my daughter was an infant, I couldn't figure out why she was having screaming fits at certain times during the day. Then I came across the book Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy

Picasa is a free software download from Google (takes about 2 minutes to set up) that helps you locate and organize all the photos on your computer; edit and add effects to your photos with a few simple clicks

10 Principles for SpiritualParenting: Nurturing Your Child's Soul by Mimi Doe is one of those books that you will write in the margins, dog-ear the pages, and wear out the spine. Doe gives practical, simple

If you have a child between age 1 month and 21 years, you absolutely must read this book! Kids Are Worth It by Barbara Coloroso gives the reader a whole new way to think about child raising, emphasizing the way

Once your beautiful daffodils shrivel at the end of spring, here's a neat way to tailor the greens so the bulb can still absorb the nutrients.  Braid them!  It sounds weird, but it looks really nice

If you can find the time to read a BOOK during your child's first year that is not a "how-to" book, I HIGHLY recommend Operating Instructions by Anne Lamott.  She journals her son's first

A.J. is a high school student and a talented photographer, looking forward to making photography her life.  She is agonizing over her love life, though, and wishing she could get the object of her attention

Starting as young as six months, your baby is ready to communicate with the world around him!  Sign language is a wonderful way to encourage early communication before your baby is developmentally ready to

This is a very interesting article that I read in New York Magazine.  A recent study found that praising a child's intelligence set them up for future failure but praising a child's work ethic

Did you ever get caught in a summer downpour with no protection at all? Take a small, empty prescription bottle, remove the label, and stuff inside the largest plastic bag that you can. Toss it in the bottom of

 You will be very surprised what you find from this extensive database tracking ingredients in hundreds of cosmetics. If this is the last website you ever visit, it will be worth it! Sign up for their

David is fourteen when his beloved uncle dies.  David inherits his sailboat, The Frog.  When David goes to visit the boat a short time later, he didn't intend to take it out, but impulsively he decides

Hillary is a teenager whose parents are free spirits.  They travel the country in a motor home, stopping in one place or another for a couple of months at a time for Hillary to go to school before moving on. 

Travis lives in the former booming oil town of Oil Camp.  The oil business in town is slowing down and some things are going badly in the community, but what always cheers up the residents is the thought of

Emlyn is a high school student, and the "good one" in her family; she does well in school, participates in extracurricular activities, and never causes trouble to her parents.  But deep down inside

This is book one is a series of books about Jonah, a high school junior. The books are his diary, stating in his words what his life is all about. Jonah is back in public school, a year behind all of his friends

Here are some suggestions to keep your child's teeth healthy and have fun at the same time! Character toothbrushes with large handles "spin brushes" that make music! Kid-friendly toothpaste flavors

Finding a good dentist for your kids is REALLY important....I remember DREADING the dentist and now my kids go every six months with bells on, they LOVE it! Children typically begin seeing a dentist around age

Here are some routines that have worked for us at home! Hope it's useful :) A bath brushing teeth reading books singing songs listening to quiet music a ritual such as a prayer or saying

Everyone tells you "a baby brings laundry" and they couldn't be more true!  Here are a few tricks I have come up with to cut down on our family Laundry time.  First, (and this might seem

If you have not been to Ikea, you just won't believe your eyes when you get there! When one opened up about 45 minutes away from our house, we ignored the advice to check it out, thinking, how great can a furniture

If your child is on prescription medicine, here is a great tip to keep him or her safe. This is useful whether you dispense the medicine or whether your child takes his or her own from the bottle. In our house

This is a website I love to browse. It deals with spirituality and religion of every possible type. There are so many pages at the site, it's difficult to explain them all, but they have articles, advice, inspiration

If you use a diaper bag, use a small one.  You don't need to pack enough supplies for a weekend trip for one morning at the mallor a visit to the doctor's office!  Here is a simple list of suggestions:

A child’s job is play. I started Development by Design (DbD) to fill a void in the toy world: toys designed for children of all needs and abilities. One out of seven kids in the US is currently diagnosed

The National Do Not Call Registry gives you a choice about whether to receive telemarketing calls at home.  Most telemarketers should not call your number once it has been on the registry for 31 days. If they

Provides up-to-date information about toy and child product recalls and water safety.  A favorite on my computer and I use it often!

This is a fantastic site dedicated to the early detection and intervention of developmental disorders and delays.  A wealth of knowledge and helpful resources for parents.

I remember this organization from my childhood! RIF has had a long successful history in our country.  Perhaps it was my early life in the inner-city of Springfield, Mass that introduced this fantastic

There have been two cases of alcohol poisoning by children who ingested hand sanitizers this year. There have been emails circulated about these incidents, but they have been verified by Snopes - http://www.snopes.com/medica

I must admit...I wasn't a successful breastfeeder.  My daughter and I tried and tried...no luck.  I still wanted her to have the benefits of breastmilk so I pumped and bottlefed her my breastmilk. 

This article is a quick reference to use if you are thinking about eating organically.  It lists the 10 most heavily sprayed foods.  If you cannot buy everything organic, it allows you to prioritize

Great web site to obtain items or give items to those in your community who want them.  The philosophy of Freecycle is to try to keep useable items out of our landfills.  I have decluttered my home as

Put sunscreen on 30-60 minutes before you venture outside.  Check with your pediatrician regarding putting sunscreen on infants under 6 months old. Older children should start with an SPF of no less than 30.