I have often heard that the heart of the home is the kitchen. Instead, I would like to suggest that the Master Bedroom is the true lifeblood of the home, which is why I found it imperative to start the “Around the House Overhaul” in the master bedroom. So often we focus our attention on the rooms in which everyone else sees, and put our own needs last. When your bedroom is clean and organized, you will sleep, love, and live more fulfilled. In turn you will be healthier and happier, which makes everything more manageable in life. Read the rest »

A Clever Parents reader tipped us off to this fabulous find: Fabkins, the brainchild of two friends and moms who wanted to offer kids a fun and easy way to be a part of saving the environment.

Joyce Raffo and Paige Rodgers had a hard time finding cloth napkins that weren’t too formal or too big for their childrens’ lunchboxes, so they created super cute cloth napkins with fun embroidered designs to make lunchboxes fun and paper-free! Read the rest »

This month we’re still working on last month’s question about how to help children who are picky eaters.

For picky eaters, food ignites strong feelings.

When you have a picky eater, the problem isn’t so much with food, it’s with your child’s feelings about food. Children whose palate is broad generally have the feeling that food is interesting. They experience enjoyment and ease when they eat. At one year old, one of my grandsons would toddle downstairs to breakfast saying “Mmmmmmm!” as he thought about breakfast. Anything would do—avocados, fruit, eggs, spaghetti from the night before would be just fine with him. Read the rest »

Valentine’s Day in a restaurant: a) romantic or b) amateur hour? If you picked ‘b’, a night in with a fabulous meal and the one you love may be enough to cure your Valentine’s Day-itis. Here are a few ways to make it a night to remember.

1. Dress It Up. Just because you’re having a meal at home doesn’t mean throwing on your comfiest pjs for a night in front of the TV. Read the rest »

“On behalf of the 2,700 Soldiers assigned to 1st Medical Brigade, we extend a heartfelt THANK YOU to you, your family, friends and the companies who donated items, for displaying such gracious generosity during Operation Shower and making Christmas a whole lot brighter for our Brigade moms. We had maximum attendance from both Soldiers who are expecting to spouses of Soldiers (most deployed) who are either expecting or recently gave birth to their child.” (excerpted from a letter from Colonel Robert Tenhet) Read the rest »

Want to be creative with your children, but you’re a little bit “Type A” and still a little bit skeptical of the mess that it could make? Here are some tips for keeping those messes at bay.

• Add a couple of drops of liquid soap/detergent to paints to make washing out of clothes a little bit easier.
• Save old egg cartons for paint palettes and simply toss when the painting is complete.

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With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, why not pick up a little something for your littlest Valentine in the form of a hand sewn heart appliqué on a cute little baby tee or onesie? We found just the thing for you at Little Uni.

Little Uni, the collaboration of longtime friends Julie Crosson and Andrea Needleman, carries a hip line of baby tees, onesies, pants and hats adorned with hand sewn appliqués. Read the rest »