Bringing home baby changes everything, including, of course, your sleeping habits. I can say with almost certainty that a complete night of sleep will never be the same again once you become a parent. But the first few months are undoubtedly like no others. You are anxious about leaving your little angel for even a few moments of rest. What if you fall so soundly asleep that you miss some urgent need your baby may have? And when you finally are exhausted enough to drift off and relax, that little bundle is sure to wake you up with a piercing cry that you certainly could not have missed if you were in a bunker. Read the rest »

The Friday after Thanksgiving kicks off the official start to the holiday shopping season. Black Friday, as it’s called, is the day when a number of brick and mortar retailers open their doors early and draw crowds of people to their stores by offering the best deals and discounts of the year. However, a lesser known shopping holiday is Cyber Monday, the biggest online shopping day of the year. Cyber Monday falls on the first Monday after Thanksgiving and retailers once again offer great deals, this time at their online stores. Read the rest »

Many owners choose to leave their pets outdoors most of the year, bringing them indoors when it gets cold. The pet probably doesn’t understand the need to go indoors, but the owner knows how cold the temperatures can get in the winter. Bringing an outside pet inside without a proper introduction can cause problems for the pet, the family, and the home. It may not be cold yet, but you can start getting your pet accustomed to indoor life now.

This article isn’t necessarily intended for the owner who wants to make the drastic change: bringing an outside dog to live inside the home permanently. Instead, this article addresses bringing a dog indoors during certain days or nights when the weather outdoors is too cold to bear. No, it’s not cold yet, but it soon will be. Starting training in the fall can prepare your pooch for the winter. At first, you can practice by bringing him in one night and maybe half a day during the week. Once you are sure your pet is comfortable indoors, you can rest assured knowing that, when the time comes, your home and sanity won’t be at risk. Read the rest »

Dear Readers,

Question: What do you get when you mix zillions of folks flying with lots of crazy weather conditions?

Answer: A flightmare!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, except if you’re flying. The holiday season is an especially challenging time to fly due to iffy weather and overcrowded airports and flights. Read the rest »

When I think of Thanksgiving I think of family togetherness and lots, and lots of food. Most of us enjoy our family and food, but don’t enjoy the way we feel after eating. Many of us experience uncomfortable bloating, and a stuffed, “heavy” feeling. Here are a few tips to beat the holiday bloat so you look back at your Thanksgiving with fond memories.

*Serve Yourself: Usually when others serve us they want to be gracious and have a tendency to give large portions. By serving yourself you’ll know exactly what you have on your plate.

*Don’t Go Hungry: If you come to dinner really hungry you’ll be likely to eat too much too fast. Have a healthy snack before you leave to avoid over eating. Read the rest »

In a blink of an eye our challenge is about to end. If you are opening up this page eager for the next assignment because everything is completed from week’s prior, you are better off than most (or me for that matter)! Let’s face it, we’re all super busy parents and it is hard to set aside time during the day to take care of these tasks, which may not seem like an immediate priority. Please keep in mind; I don’t set out making these challenges to make your life more difficult, rather so it is EASIER! So, if you are anxiously waiting to see where I am going to send you off this week with your bucket of hot soapy water and a micro-fiber cloth…please bear with me while I address the needs of the others. Read the rest »

It hit me like a ton of bricks. One minute we were arguing as usual, and the next? Divorced. Fifteen years of marriage gone in fifteen seconds flat. Well, not really, but that’s what it seemed like. And after telling the kids, the parents, the beloved and shocked friends, after going through the motions day after day after day, after being too numb to even cry and realizing that yet again, after so many years of hanging on, I was walking around in a body that carried a broken heart, it occurred to me—I’d actually been going through the divorce for fifteen years. This was just the paperwork. And I recognized that finally it was time to be me. And that felt really, really good. Read the rest »