Teaching Responsibility

Laundry is my number one nemesis as a mom.  It's just the most overwhelming, tedious and time-consuming thing that controls my life.  I absolutely hate it.  Yes, I do have the right to use the H word.  With three...

I love mom hacks. I love the simple shortcuts we take to make chores easier, kids listen better and days flow smoother. Life is too short and too busy to do things the hard way. I'm excited to share nine...

For about two years, my husband and I have employed a steady, reliable option in our college savings plans for our kids.  It's called the Money On The Desk Plan. Two years ago, my grandma sent each of my girls...

I’ve tried yoga a few times. I am not very good at it. The whole balance thing does not at all come natural. My sister and I were nearly kicked out of a yoga class after the swan pose erupted...

"Here, Mom.  Take it.  It's for you!" When I hear those words, filled with pride and delight, I know she's going to have one of two things in her outstretched hand: a pine cone or a rock. Pine cones aren't the...

After decades of increasing, the childhood obesity rate is starting to level off. However, the rate is still alarmingly high. Did you know that 1 in 3 children aged 10-17 are considered obese? Childhood overweight/obesity is regarded as the most...

It all started as a compromise. I’ve wanted a dog for years, my spouse does not want one until our kids are a bit older, so we met in the middle with an agreement to do animal foster care....

Raising a child sometimes feels like a Mount Everest of responsibility. Not only must your kid grow up to be a reasonably decent person, but he must also be a full-blown Renaissance man, accomplished in academics, sports and the...

“Stay away from me! I was not made to be around people!” Those were actual words that came from our six-year old’s mouth as his cousins played with him one afternoon. Upon hearing him say that I teetered between wanting...

You know calm and organized are not in your wheelhouse for your morning routine, but what just happened, will never happen again, you tell yourself. You had to tell your kids to put on their clothes, shoes, and jackets at least...

Maybe you've heard of people who have done this - done away with all of their kids' toys. The motivations vary, but people do this and live to tell about it. I am now one of those people. In a frustrated moment...

It was the kind of morning when a mom can feel henpecked to death before she takes her first sip of coffee. I'd worked late in the emergency room the night before and fatigue made a cat toy out...

We are right in the middle of the holiday season. The season is likely filled with holiday movies, baking cookies, figuring out where to move your mischievous Elf, trips to see Santa, shopping for the perfect present and lots...

There are some serious contentment issues happening in our house lately. Is it 4-year-olds? Like "terrible twos," "threenager," and "never satisfied number four." Seriously, what is happening?! That's not entirely fair. My 4-year-old daughter isn't like that ALL the time. Often,...