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Susanne Myers - EzineArticles.com Expert Author  

Susanne Myers is the founder of Kinderinfo.com the one-stop online children's resource center. She recently launched Healthy Menu Mailer with Christine Steendahl, to encourage families to enjoy a healthy dinner together and to eat healthier all day long.

[View Susanne Myers's Extended Author Bio]

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  • Perfect Winter Comfort Food That Warms Your Body and Soul
    [Food-and-Drink:Soups] When the temperatures keep dropping outside, it's time for some winter comfort foods to warm you up. There's just something about a big cup of homemade soup or stew to warm your body and soul when it is cold and dreary outside. What is it about these winter comfort foods that instantly makes us feel better?


  • 7 Tips For Making Delicious Fruit Salad
    [Food-and-Drink:Cooking-Tips] Fruit salad makes for a great dessert as well as a healthy snack. We have a bowl of it sitting in the fridge most days. Having it there makes it easy for everyone in my family to grab a healthy snack and I much rather they eat a bowl of this than some cookies or candy bars. Here are some simple tips to make sure your fruit salad turns out perfect every time you make it.


  • Family Dinner Time - Are You Making These Three Meal Planning Mistakes?
    [Food-and-Drink:Cooking-Tips] Meal planning is one of the best ways to save time and money when it comes to making dinner for your family. I see a lot of people get into meal planning, only to give up after a few short weeks because it's just not working out.


  • How to Freeze Avocados
    [Food-and-Drink:Recipes] Don't you just hate it when an avocado goes bad before you have a chance to eat it? It seems like such a waste of a wonderful fruit (yes, they are technically fruits not vegetables). Here's how to freeze avocados so you can use them later on in your favorite dips, sandwiches or salads.


  • How to Freeze Ripe Bananas and Use Them in Recipes Later
    [Food-and-Drink:Cooking-Tips] I love bananas that are about to turn brown for banana bread, smoothies etc. Unfortunately they usually start to turn before I get a chance to use them. Let me show you how to freezer ripe bananas that you can then pull out of the freezer and use in your favorite recipes later.


  • How to Freeze Waffles and Enjoy Them For Breakfast Throughout the Week
    [Food-and-Drink:Cooking-Tips] How would you like to enjoy delicious hot homemade waffles even on the busiest of mornings? I'll show you how to make and freeze waffles that you can grab, heat and eat anytime.


  • Three Easy But Gourmet Lunch Recipes - Perfect For Entertaining
    [Food-and-Drink:Recipes] I love having my girlfriends over for lunch once a month. We always have a good time catching up and enjoying some yummy food. Lunch works out well for us and it's actually a lot easier to prepare than some fancy dinner.


  • Easy Kids Crafts For Halloween
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] Are your kids excited about Halloween yet? We don't have a day go by where my daughter doesn't ask me if it's time to go trick-or-treating yet. Keep them busy while they wait with these easy kids craft ideas you can do together.


  • Cool Off With Some Cold Coffee Drinks
    [Food-and-Drink:Coffee] I'm the first to admit that I can't function without a good cup of coffee first thing in the morning, but over the past few weeks, it's been just too hot to enjoy a good steaming cup o' Joe. What's a girl to do? Simple - opt for a cold coffee drink instead.


  • Creating A Simple Budget For Your Family
    [Finance:Budgeting] Here's how you can create a simple budget for your family. It's easier than you think and you will reap the financial benefits from this simple exercise for years to come.


  • Simple Money Saving Tips
    [Finance:Personal-Finance] Saving money in the household budget can be challenging. The rising cost of almost everything has many of us struggling and pinching pennies. There are several simple things, which almost anyone can do to save money in the family budget.


  • Seven Ways to Teach Your Kids About Money
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] We all want our children to have healthy financial futures, yet many times we fail to start them out with a healthy understanding of money. We either give them too much or struggle to provide even their smallest needs, but we may be guilty of never explaining either case to them, and therefore we rob them of a good educational financial background.


  • How to Hold a Family Budget Meeting
    [Finance:Budgeting] Creating a family budget can be tough, but getting the whole family involved in the process can be even tougher. This is why it is important to hold a family budget meeting where you can lay out on the table all of the pieces of the family budget that pertain to everyone and help them to understand what everything costs and what goals you have set financially in order to save money or possibly even just to make ends meet.


  • Creating Sinking Funds Can Help You Save Money
    [Finance:Personal-Finance] Everyone has that bill that comes up once a year, but always seems to sneak up on you, or that family emergency that leaves you penniless and wondering how you will ever get ahead, maybe for you the one big financial struggle is paying for Christmas every year. Whatever the case, there are big-ticket items that cause us all to struggle financially.


  • Should I Hire a Financial Planner?
    [Finance:Personal-Finance] Finances, they are an inevitable part of life, however, one that many of us dread dealing with and therefore, many times do a poor job of handling. Managing your money and your assets is an important part of life and one that should be taken seriously.


  • Could Your Home Use Some Redecorating?
    [Home-Improvement:Interior-Design-and-Decorating] Look around your home. What do you think when you see the way it looks? Do you see things that are worn, faded and just tired looking? It may be time to redecorate.


  • Why Crafting With Kids Is Important
    [Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Crafting with kids can be extremely important for the bonding process between parent and child. This is especially true, when the whole family is involved in the process. As well, the child develops a variety of different skills that will last him a life time. Therefore, it is important that you make time to spend crafting with your little one.


  • How Planning Your Meals Can Save You Money
    [Food-and-Drink:Cooking-Tips] Do you find yourself scrounging on the cabinets and scratching your head around dinnertime each night? Do you have trouble finding breakfast for your family each morning? Do you hate to even add up how much money you've spent eating out in the past month? Then, you probably can say that you need help with the meals in your house, and that you could stand to save some money in the process.


  • Baby Food Grinders and Food Processors - The Key to Making Nutritious Food at Home
    [Home-and-Family:Babies-Toddler] If you're a mom that has always dreamed of creating healthy and nutritious foods for your baby without the hassles, then you should consider a baby food grinder or electronic food processor to process your baby's food at home. These clever and devices allow moms to prepare healthy and nutritious foods at home by grinding them into smaller pieces.


  • Kids Can Cook Healthy And Will Eat What They Prepare
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] One of the best ways I'm aware of to get your kids interested in eating healthy, balanced meals is to get them involved in cooking them. Kids of any age can help or even cook entire meals. The key is to start as early as possible getting them involved and to keep them active in the kitchen. The reason this works so well is that for one you get your kids exposed to all kinds of different foods and secondly, you are getting them to prepare the food and the pride they take in making something will get them to eat healthy foods they normally wouldn't touch.


  • Baby Food Stains and How to Get Rid Of Them
    [Home-and-Family:Babies-Toddler] There is nothing worse than ruining one of your baby's best outfits with a baby food stain. Just one small drop of baby food can quickly ruin an entire outfit. However, there is hope. Baby food stains do not have to ruin your infants clothing. There are some simple steps to both prevent the stains from happening, as well as removing them if they should happen.


  • Is My Baby Ready For Solid Food?
    [Home-and-Family:Babies-Toddler] Do you think your baby is ready for solid food? Most physicians recommend starting solids between four to six months of age, but in reality, it depends on the baby. Don't be in a big rush to start your baby on solid foods... let the baby tell you when he is ready.


  • Health Benefits Of Beans and Lentils
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] Lentils and beans are two commonly ignored foods that have a lot of health benefits. They're beneficial for people who have or are in danger of developing diabetes. They also provide anti-aging benefits, are heart-healthy, and can be cooked in a lot of different ways. If you're wondering what you should eat to have a healthy diet, the answer surprisingly enough, is beans.


  • The History of Pie
    [Food-and-Drink:Desserts] The history of pie is rich in flavor. Pies have been around for thousands of years, we know this, since the ancient Egyptians kept records of their practices and pie is included there, along with all the mysteries and charm of those long ago days.


  • Giving Your Young Child A Nutritional Head Start
    [Home-and-Family:Babies-Toddler] One of the best things you can do for your child is to provide them with a great nutritional head start by paying attention to what you are feeding him or her at a very young age. Not only do the nutrients found in the food directly impact your child's physical development, but you are also setting the tone for what he or she will tend to eat throughout the rest of life.


  • 5 Tips For Making Baby's First Christmas Wonderful
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] Having a new baby in the family is always a joyous experience, especially around the holidays and your baby's first Christmas is an experience you will remember the rest of your life. Unfortunately young babies and lots of excitement and "strangers" (from the baby's point of view) don't always mix. You end up with a crying exhausted and over stimulated baby instead of holding a relaxed bundle of joy in your arms while you sip hot cocoa under the tree if you're not careful. Use the 5 tips below to help make sure both you and your baby will enjoy this first Christmas together.


  • 5 Guidelines For Cooking Healthy Meals For Your Family
    [Food-and-Drink] Cooking healthy for your family is important for everyone. Not only will you be eating healthy meals, but your children will learn a lot from eating healthy. They will get to experience healthy foods that they may have not even tried before, or wanted to. They will learn how to cook healthy meals so that they can pass down this tradition to their own children in the future. They will also come to enjoy healthy meals better than junk or foods that are bad for them.


  • How This Busy Mom Gets Dinner On The Table
    [Food-and-Drink:Cooking-Tips] You know the drill... you run around all day taking care of the kids, the household and your job and before you know it 7pm rolls around and you have no idea what to fix for dinner. That used to be me too. The solution was usually to sever everyone a bowl of cereal or call the pizza delivery guy. Not anymore. While I'm still just as busy as ever, I also realize how important it is to prepare a "real" dinner for my family.


  • Soup - The Perfect Comfort Food
    [Food-and-Drink:Soups] When you've had a long day or are fighting a nasty cold, there just isn't anything better than a good cup of soup. There's just something about a bowl of that warm liquid that makes you feel better no matter what happened. Let's take a look at what makes soup the perfect comfort food, and of course share a recipe for the soup of all soups. You'll have to keep reading to find out what it is.


  • Mother's Day Breakfast - Start Mom's Special Day With These Ideas
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] Mother's Day is all about showing Mom how much you appreciate everything she does all year long. Why not start the day of right for her this year by surprising her with breakfast. It's one of the easiest meals to prepare and with a little help from Dad, even young kids can put together some delicious dishes for Mom to make her feel appreciated on this special day.


  • Prepare Your Child for the First Day of School
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] The first day of school for your child is going to be a big day for both of you, and for some it may cause some fear and anxiety. As a parent, you can do a great deal to help your child get through this time of change and new experience by helping them prepare for school.


  • Easy Science Projects For Kids
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] You want your kids to have fun, but also want to expand their minds. What's a parent to do? How about a few easy science projects that are simple to recreate? Your kids will love the hands-on experience and you can feel good about getting them involved in an activity that will have them learning (without the kids even realizing it).


  • TV Guidelines for Kids - How Much Is Too Much And What Should Your Child Be Watching Anyway?
    [Kids-and-Teens] What did we ever do before the boob tube? Television has taken the "family" out of family time. Everyone's eyes are glued to the television set and no one is talking. By setting a few guidelines, you can keep your kids from becoming strangers in their own home.


  • I'm A Stay At Home Mom, How Can I Socialize My Preschooler?
    [Home-and-Family:Babies-Toddler] Most children these days attend some kind of preschool program before entering mainstream education in kindergarten. Preschools have changed since I was in school. Now, they are geared towards preparing the children academically. When children stay home, they miss this and the process of getting to know other children.


  • Keeping A Close Relationship With Your Teen - It's Not Impossible
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] When kids are small, their parents are the sun and the moon to them. So, how do we go from being the sun and the moon, to being the cricket and the mouse? When we talk to them as teenagers, all they seem to hear is chirp-chirp-chirp and squeak-squeak-squeak. If this sounds like your teenager, here are a few ways that you can form a meaningful relationship with them and get them to actually hear what you are saying.


  • Why Helping Your Child Establish Good Studying Habits Is So Important
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] When it comes to studying, most children are less than enthusiastic about the task. Doing work at home feels just like an extension of school. If you start them early enough, they can develop good study habits that will serve them well throughout their educational career.


  • Potty Training - Turning Trial Into Fun
    [Home-and-Family:Babies-Toddler] There are a lot of things that can happen during potty training. Children often feel insecure when stepping up from training pants to using the potty like the rest of us. It's important to make the thing fun and exciting, in order to help your child over come these insecurities. By making potty training fun and interesting, your child will progress smoothly and with a minimum of hassle and fuss for you. There are some things you can do to make things fun for your little boy or girl.


  • Junk Food Facts - Why Eating Junk Food Just Isn't A Good Idea
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] If your diet consists mainly of junk foods, you are not feeling well. In order to feel your best, you need to provide your body nutritious foods on a daily basis. In order to sustain your health and protect your organs against diseases, you have to provide your body needed vitamins and minerals.


  • Healthy Eating is Satisfying – Not Limiting
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] You can eat healthy nutritious foods that satisfy you. Healthy eating should not be approached as a way of limiting yourself to bland, un-appetizing foods. Your taste buds will become more as you experiment with foods that are not only good for you but foods that taste great.


  • Foods That Heal - What You Eat Can Cut Your Risk For Cancer - Heart Disease And Other Health Problem
    [Health-and-Fitness] Let's talk about why healthy eating is important. Healthy eating is important because eating healthy reduces your risk of disease. Scientific evidence shows that consumption of saturated fat, trans fat, and dietary cholesterol raises low-density lipoprotein (LDL), or "bad cholesterol," levels, which increases the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD). High blood levels of cholesterol and triglycerides (blood fats) can lead Sudden death from heart disease or stroke without any signs or symptoms.


  • Challenging Your Preschooler's Mind
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Think of your preschooler's mind as a sponge, just waiting to expand as your child learns. While structured learning doesn't start until Kindergarten, the years leading up to this are just as important for your child’s mental development. Neural pathways are still forming in the brain and the more you challenge your child intellectually right now, the more of these pathways in the brain will form - making it easier for him to learn for the rest of his life.


  • Debt Settlement - When It's Time To Settle With Your Creditors
    [Finance:Debt-Relief] Debt happens to many individuals and families for many reasons. For instance, many families find themselves deep in debt when a spouse becomes unemployed, ill or injured. While many people are able to pick themselves up and dig themselves out of deep debt situations, others truly need assistance. One of the ways that an individual or family can help dig themselves out of a deep debt situation is with debt settlement.


  • Benefits Of Eating Healthier And How To Incorporate Healthy Foods In Your Diet
    [Food-and-Drink] Creating healthy recipes involves the combination of good nutrition and good taste. Menus can be easy to prepare and fun to make. Recipes can take 30 minutes or less to prepare. Eating healthy is important but with hectic life styles, menus must be convenient and fit the the time schedules of today's busy lifestyles.


  • Debt Consolidation - How To Make It Work To Your Advantage
    [Finance:Debt-Consolidation] Debt consolidation is an extremely practical way to reorganize your debt, so that you can pay it off quicker without paying high interest rates and late fees. Debt consolidation is a tool that everyone that has trouble managing their debt needs to look into. Here are some tips.


  • Simple Tips To Eat Healthier
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] Healthy eating is a simple process that starts at the grocery store. Shopping for healthy foods and preparing them for your family is the simple formula that reduces the incidence of obesity, heart problems and enhances general health.


  • Get Out of Debt - Starting Today
    [Finance:Debt-Relief] Debt is one of the worst situations any individual or family can be in. Not only can the fear of owing lots of money disrupt a family's happiness and routines, but being in debt can prevent you and your family from saving for the most important purchases such as tuition costs and a home mortgage.


  • Walking For Heart Health
    [Health-and-Fitness:Exercise] February is heart health month and one of the best things you can do to keep your heart healthy is to make sure you get at least 20 minutes of cardio exercise each day. Walking is a gentle workout that gets your heart pumping enough to keep it strong and healthy. Here are some reasons why walking is such a great way to keep your heart healthy and how you can get started today.


  • Prepare A Romantic Dinner This Valentine's Day – The Healthy Way
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] Preparing a nice romantic dinner for Valentine's Day is a great way to show your spouse or partner how much you love and appreciate them. It is also a nice way to spend some quality time together as a couple. And by preparing healthy dishes, you show your loved one that you care about their health and wellbeing as well. So this year, replace a fat-laden meal with a lighter, yet flavorful and satisfying meal.


  • The Stick Horse – An Old-Fashioned Toy That Lives On
    [Kids-and-Teens] Do you remember playing with a stick horse when you were a child? I remember spending hours riding around the house and taking care of my little horse. It doesn’t matter if you have a little girl who keeps asking for a pony for Christmas, or a little boy who likes nothing better than pretending to be a cowboy. A stick horse is an old-fashioned toy that still belongs into every child's toy box.


  • Celebrate Valentine Day The Healthy Way
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] Valentine's day has evolved into a holiday that's all about cards, roses and of course chocolates and fancy dinners. The later two don't always contribute to a healthy eating lifestyle. Here are some ideas on how you can celebrate Valentine Day the healthy way, without sacrificing any of the fun.


  • Creative Valentine Ideas For You And The Kids
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] My favorite thing about Valentine's Day is all the fun crafts and treats we get to make with our kids. Kids love sharing something they made themselves with close family and friends. Make a few of these projects with your children this year and hand them out to grandma, grandpa, daddy and of course their best friends from school or preschool.


  • Debt Advice - What To Do When Your Debt Gets Out Of Hand
    [Finance:Debt-Relief] Many individuals and families find themselves squeezed by debt. Today, it is easier than ever to fall into debt or lose control of your spending. If you find that you are having difficulty paying your monthly bills or notice that you have dug yourself in a deep hole and don't know how to climb out of it, one of the strategies that you might want to employ is to seek debt advice.


  • How To Form Good Healthy Eating Habits
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] We make a pact with ourselves to form good healthy eating habits because we know that that one change will enhance our lives. Everyone knows that it is a good thing to form good healthy eating habits but few people have the will power to make this drastic lifestyle change for the long haul all by themselves.


  • Inexpensive Valentine Gift Ideas
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] Over the past few decades, Valentine’s Day has gone from a fun little romantic holiday into a fully commercialized day that’s all about buying expensive flowers and even jewelry. Gone are the days where this day was about showing how much you cared about one another, or is it? With a little creativity, you can come up with some very unique and inexpensive valentine gift ideas.


  • Fun, Personal Valentine's Day Gift – A Day Of Pampering At Home
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] Valentine's Day doesn’t have to be about expensive jewelry or a few dozen roses. If you are looking for an inexpensive Valentine's Day gift that will knock your sweetheart of his or her feet, treat her to a day of pampering at home. You can create both the day spa atmosphere and treatments right in your own kitchen. It's not nearly as complicated as you may thing. The spa treatments are simple and easy to make and use mostly household ingredients.


  • Healthy Snack Ideas You And Your Conscience Can Live With
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] The best memories of special events in our lives involve food. One strategy for healthier living is to find ways to incorporate healthy food into pleasant experiences. Substitute healthy snacks for high fat sugar laden treats will whittle your waist line and make you feel better. Finding healthy snack ideas will prevent a fun event from being the trigger that sabotages diet resolutions.


  • Can Budget Software Help Me Take Control Of My Finance?
    [Finance:Budgeting] Creating and following a budget is extremely important for any family’s financial security, one of the ways that you can manage your finances, create a budget that works for you and your family and control your expenses is with budget software. There are many types of budgeting software, however for the most part they are all fairly easy to use and have loads of features that add lots of value.


  • When Should I Start Potty Training?
    [Home-and-Family:Babies-Toddler] If you have a toddler in the house, you'll start to wonder when you should start potty training. After years of changing diapers, many parents can’t wait for their child to be old enough to start using the potty. At the same time, they are aware that starting to potty train too early isn’t good for their child. You may be wondering how you can tell that it is time to start potty training.


  • Eating Well Will Keep Your Body Running
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] Healthy eating provides all the essential nutrients that you need to achieve excellent health. The foods that form a healthy eating pyramid have the vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients, essential fatty acids, fiber and more that the body needs for optimum health.


  • Valentine Party Ideas For Kids
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] Valentine's Day parties are becoming more popular every year, so why not have a valentine party or the kids this year. It's a fun way to get them together in one big play date. Valentine's Day is about showing how much you like each other and kids should have a chance to show and tell their closest friends that they like them. Throw a little party with these Valentine party ideas for kids.


  • How To Make A Personal Budget
    [Finance:Budgeting] There are many types of budgets that people use in their daily life. For instance, there are budgets to run a household, for transportation costs, business budgets, etc. One of the most important budgets that you can employ is a personal budget. A personal budget is a way to manage and control your individual expenses over the course of a day, week, month or year. Here are some tips on making a personal budget.


  • Food For The Heart-Mind and Spirit
    [Food-and-Drink] Developing healthy eating habits is difficult in a society where overindulgence at fast food restaurants is encouraged. A hamburger and french fries is considered by many families to be a nutritious meal.


  • Walking For Health-3 Reasons Why You Should Try It
    [Health-and-Fitness:Exercise] Walking is a great way to improve your overall health and well being. It is recommended that we get at least 30 minutes of physical exercise each day, yet only a few of us work out at all. We spent most of our day sitting in our office, or in front of the computer or TV. It is time we start to make an effort to exercise a little each day and walking is one of the easiest ways to do this. Let’s take a look at three different reasons why walking for health is a good idea.


  • 7 Interesting Facts About Penguins You Can Share With Your Kids
    [Kids-and-Teens] With the release of the movie "Happy Feet," young kids have become fascinated with penguins. These special little birds, that live in the coldest regions of the earth are pretty interesting creatures. I have dug up 7 interesting facts about penguins that you can share with your kids.


  • A Healthy Eating Plan Isn't Just For Losing Weight
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] A healthy eating plan is not a diet. A healthy eating plan allows a wide range of food choices in varying proportions. The focus of a healthy eating plan is health not necessarily weight loss. A healthy eating plan revolves around the creation of healthy recipes. Recipes that are nutritional and that taste good. Eating healthy does not have to be difficult. There are ways to prepare for a new healthier lifestyle without a major disruption to your schedule.


  • Get Your Skin Ready For Spring
    [Health-and-Fitness:Beauty] The cold, harsh weather outside, and dry, heated air inside during the winter months does quite a bit of damage to our skin. Add to that the fact that we don't get much sun exposure and it is easy to see that our skin needs a little prepping to get it ready for the first warm spring days outside. Now is a great time to start getting your skin ready for spring.


  • Family Budget Planning-Could It Help You?
    [Finance:Budgeting] A budget is a tool to help manage and control your family's finances. As with many situations, having a plan of action can help you understand, focus and succeed. In this case your family’s financial well being is extremely important and budget planning is a major cornerstone of that financial well being.


  • Healthy Eating Can Reduce Risks of Heart Disease and Stroke
    [Health-and-Fitness:Heart-Disease] Heart disease and stroke are the leading causes of death and disability for both men and women in the Western World. Overweight people are more likely to have high blood pressure, a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, than people who are not overweight.


  • 5 Healthy Valentine Snacks You Can Make For Your Sweetheart
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] Valentine's Day doesn't have to be just about roses and boxes of chocolate. You can surprise your sweetheart with some healthy valentine snacks this year that not only good for him or her, but also delicious. Here are five healthy snack ideas that are perfect for Valentine’s Day.


  • How Can I Fix Bad Credit
    [Finance:Debt-Consolidation] So, you’ve made a few mistakes, or maybe just had some bad luck. One way or another you ended up with some bad credit, which usually means you have a low credit score making it harder for you to get any type of loan, especially a mortgage to purchase a home. What you need is a strategy to fix your credit and do so fast. Here are some tips to get you started.


  • Healthy Cooking Tips For Your Family
    [Food-and-Drink:Cooking-Tips] Do you sometimes feel like cooking, especially cooking "healthy" foods, is a chore? - Not to mention expensive. Or do you get frustrated at the end of the week when you have to throw away unused, rotten vegetables that you purchased to make a healthy salad and never found the time to put it all together.


  • Staying Fit By Eating Healthy
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] The best way to enhance overall health is to add foods that are nutrient dense to your overall eating plan. These foods are like wonder drugs. They make you feel better and look good. Did you know that some foods help your body reduce the risk for cancer and other debilitating diseases?


  • Should I Use Potty Training Dolls?
    [Home-and-Family:Babies-Toddler] If you have been looking for information about potty training your child, you have probably come across potty training dolls. These dolls can be a good tool to help your child grasp the concept of potty training, but are they really necessary. Let’s take a look at what potty training dolls are, how they can benefit you and do you really need them.


  • Develop A Healthy Eating Plan That Will Protect Your Heart
    [Health-and-Fitness:Heart-Disease] You can enjoy heart healthy recipes and meals that protect your hearth and your overall healthy. You can cut your risk for heart disease by increasing your intake of fruits and vegetables. Each year nutritionist, medical professionals and the diet gurus come out with more and more information on why we should eat healthier.


  • Household Budget – A Great Financial Tool For Your Family
    [Finance:Budgeting] There are many types of budgets that a family can put into use; however one of the most useful budgets around is the household budget. Let’s face it, family life usually revolves around the home, so setting up a household budget can be an extremely practical way to manage and control your finances dealing with your home. Here are some tips on how to get the most use out of your household budget.


  • Budget Travel – Enjoy A Great Family Vacation Without Spending A Lot
    [Travel-and-Leisure:Budget-Travel] Some of the most memorable activities your family can do together is to go on a family vacation. For most families finding the money to enjoy a yearly vacation can be difficult to achieve, one of the ways you and your family can enjoy a vacation together is to look into budget travel options.


  • How To Pick A Good Lunch Box For Children
    [Kids-and-Teens] If you are sending your child to school with a packed lunch, consider getting her a lunch box to carry the food in. Of course not all lunch boxes are created equal. They vary in size, material and price quite a bit. Here are some suggestions on how to pick a good lunch box for children.


  • 7 Great Reasons To Start Exercising
    [Health-and-Fitness:Exercise] You know you should exercise on a regular basis because it’s “good for you”, but do you have a real reason to exercise? Getting in a habit of exercising 30 to 45 minutes a day as recommended isn’t an easy task. With a good enough reason, you can get in the habit of getting off the couch and start working out. Here are seven great reasons to start exercising.


  • Here's Why You Should Give Meal Planning A Try
    [Home-and-Family] Planning healthful delicious meals for a family might seem a time consuming task. However the benefits of planning nutritious meals far outweigh the time required to get it right. Creating a weekly menu plan is important to creating healthy delicious meals for our family. Menu planning can actually add hours to your week rather than reducing the time you have available.


  • Shopping For Fresh Produce
    [Food-and-Drink] Do you know how old the "fresh" produce in your local supermarket is? Much of the food has been picked several days or even weeks ago. As the fruit or vegetable is harvested, it slowly loses nutrients. That’s why you want produce that’s as fresh as possible. Not to mention that it tastes much better.


  • How Many Calories Can I Burn Walking?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Weight-Loss] If you have been considering walking for weight loss, you may be wondering how many calories you can burn walking. Let's cut right to the chase. The average person burns about 80 calories during 30 minutes of leisurely walking. Now that doesn't exactly tell us very much, does it? Let's find out why


  • What Is Interval Training?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Exercise] You may have come across the term "Interval Training", and may be wondering what exactly it is and how you may benefit from this type of exercise. Interval Training has become a popular workout in recent months because of studies that have shown it to be very effective in improving your overall condition and in burning more fat than other types of workouts. Professional athletes have taken advantage of interval training to get them into the best possible shape for years. There is no reason why you can't take advantage of this training method as well.


  • Why Should I Use A Home Budget?
    [Finance:Budgeting] A home budget is simply a way to plan and organize your family's finances. A budget is an important first step in taking action and controlling your finances, instead of your finances controlling you. Each year, many families find themselves in debt and some near financial ruin. By putting lots of thought into your finances and creating a strategy to control your spending habits (home budget), you can not only side step many financial pitfalls, but find yourself financially secure.


  • Healthy Eating - It's Not As Hard As You May Think
    [Health-and-Fitness] Simply modifying your eating habits will have an enormous impact on your health. Ironically, when you get healthier, there are positive impact on the nation's public health and the cost of healthcare. If you make healthy lifestyle changes and take action today, you can reduce the threat to your health from many chronic diseases.


  • Kids Can Benefit From Making Music
    [Kids-and-Teens] Do you ever wonder why so many elementary schools do what they can to include some sort of musical education into their programs? At first glance music education may not seem all that important compared to learning how to read and write, and is thus often one of the first programs to be cut. Fortunately more and more people start to realize how important making music is and that our kids can greatly benefit from it.


  • Healthy Valentine’s Day Treats
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] Valentine’s Day is usually a day where we exchange decadent candies and enjoy elaborate desserts with our sweetheart. But we don’t have to indulge in these rather unhealthy treats; there are quite a few healthy alternatives that are just as tasteful and romantic. In addition, you show how much you care about that special person in your life by being concerned about their health. Here are healthy Valentine’s Day treats you can whip up in no time at all. They are sure to impress and of course taste and look fabulous.


  • Nutrition And Exercise – Are You Paying Attention To Both?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Exercise] Whether you are trying to lose weight, or just live a healthier lifestyle, you know you should get some exercise every day and pay attention to your nutrition, or what you eat. What you may not know is how closely related nutrition and exercise are. One in fact helps out the other. By eating right and working out together, you can achieve your weight loss goals much faster or just feel better overall. Let's take a look at how nutrition and exercise combined affect your body.


  • Homemade Spa Treatments – A Great Way To Escape The Winter Blues
    [Health-and-Fitness:Beauty] Are you getting a little tired of this cold wet weather and long for warm and sunny summer days? Chase those winter blues away with a day spend pampering yourself with some homemade spa treatments. Not only will it lift your spirit, but it will also do wonders to your skin. Being stuck inside with the heat turned on can dry out the skin and wearing layers of thick, long clothing adds to the damage. Take some time this week to pamper yourself, right at home.


  • Your Guide To Eating Right
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] To start eating right might involve some simple modifications to our present eating habits. "Eating right" is easier than we think. Including foods that are high in nutrient value is simple. Stopping at the fruit and vegetable aisle in the neighborhood grocery store or the favorite outdoor market can add up to big health gains.


  • 3 Great Valentine Crafts For Kids
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] Valentine's Day is just a few short weeks away. Get in the spirit by making some fun Valentine’s crafts with your kids. Use them to decorate the house, or make little cards that your child can exchange with friends and family. This is also a great time to talk about the people that are important to your child like grandparents and friends at school. Teach your child the importance of showing these people how much she likes them. Make a special card for each of them together, then mail them or hand-deliver the cards together.


  • How To Raise A Reader
    [Home-and-Family:Babies-Toddler] You love books and you want to pass the joy of reading on to your kids. There are quite a few things you can do to make sure your child will not only be a proficient reader, but also develops a love for reading. And, unlike what you make think, reading readiness starts from birth. The basics skills needed for reading are developed very early on. Here’s what you can do for your baby, toddler and preschooler to prepare him for reading and teach him to love books.


  • Reduce Your Sugar Intake For Better Health
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] The average American consumes an average of 20 teaspoons of sugar a day. That’s almost double the recommended amount. Obviously we don’t consume this sugar just in our coffee or even in candies and sweets. Let’s take a look at where all this sugar we eat each day is coming from and how we can start to reduce our overall sugar consumption.


  • Getting Your Only Child Ready For Kindergarten
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] If you have an only child, like I do, you worry about preparing her for kindergarten. Will there be a huge adjustment period because your child didn't have siblings to play and share with? We want our child to have the best possible advantage and want to make sure she is ready for kindergarten and school. Here are some tips on how you can accomplish just that.


  • Three Ways To Spend Quality Time With Your Child
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] With our busy lives, it is easy to go for days without spending much quality time with our kids. Our children need our attention and crave spending time with us. As parents we should make an effort each week to schedule something special things we can do together. Here are some ideas for things you can do with your kids.


  • If New York Banned TransFats Why Don't You?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Supplements] What we once took for granted as being a healthy alternative to the high fat content of margarine and butter has come home to haunt us. Consumers are more concerned than ever about their health. In an attempt to aid the public, the FDA has made food manufacturers reveal those items in foods that are detrimental to our health.


  • How to Eat Healthy With A Healthy Eating Plan
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] Including nutrient rich food in your diet is a simple change that is painless. A healthy eating plan does not have to be boring and tasteless. Creating a healthy end plan can provide delicious recipes that contribute to your long term health and beauty. Dietitians and nutritionists suggest that to enjoy optimal health, fruits and vegetables must become mainstays in a healthy eating plan.


  • Fun with Your Kids On A Small Budget
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] When you think about spending a fun day out with the kids, an amusement park or the zoo may come to mind. If you are taking the whole family to either one, you end up spending quite a bit of money for a single day of family fun. While there is definitely a time and place for these types of activities, you sometimes just want to enjoy a fun day with you kids on a smaller budget. With a little creativity, that’s definitely a possibility. Here are some ideas to get you started.


  • Can Walking Help You Lose Weight?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Weight-Loss] Can walking really help you lose weight, or should you stick to exercises and workouts like running that burn a lot more calories? I get that question quite a bit, and simply speaking the answer is yes, walking can definitely help you lose weight.


  • Four Tips To Help You Deal With Your Little Picky Eater
    [Home-and-Family:Babies-Toddler] Did your sweet little toddler, who used to eat almost anything, turn into a picky eater all of a sudden? Many kids will start to become a lot choosier about what types of foods they will eat around age three. Here are four tips to help you deal with your little picky eater.


  • Healthy Eating - Give Yourself The Gift Of Health
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] Eating healthy can prevent serious illness. By making minor changes to the way we eat, we can increase our energy, enhance the body's ability to fight disease and therefore live longer, happier healthier lives. As we age, our bodies are more prone to disease. We have less resistance to illness.


  • Winter Craft Ideas For Kids
    [Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] When the weather is cold and wet outside, and kids are cooped up inside, winter crafts are a great way to keep them entertained. With just a few simple crafting supplies you can keep them busy for hours and avoid cabin fever at the same time. Give it a try and come up with some winter craft ideas for your kids using some of the suggestions below.


  • 4 Surprising Benefits of Drinking Plenty Of Water
    [Health-and-Fitness] The benefits of drinking water could easily number in the hundreds. But the most popular reason for drinking water may not be widely known. If this one fact was common knowledge, women and men would crowd around the water cooler day and night and everybody would have water bottles attached to their bodies. What is this great benefit of drinking water?


  • Why Is Walking Such A Great Workout?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Exercise] More and more people each year discover walking as a way to stay in shape. What makes walking such a great workout? Let’s take a look at a few of the many benefits walking has and why you may want to incorporate walking into your own workout routine.


  • Healthy Eating For A Fresh Start in Life
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] If everything else in your life is going wrong, you often feel like you need to make drastic changes to make your life better. Start by changing the way you eat. When the body is provided with essential nutrients, the world seems more manageable. Mood swings and bouts of tiredness and listlessness may be the results of poor eating habits. Eating healthier may very well improve other areas of your life.


  • Increase The Calories You Burn During Your Walking Workout
    [Health-and-Fitness:Exercise] When you are walking for weight loss, you want to burn as many calories as possible. Of course you could walk longer each day, but since time is our most precious commodity, we often need to get things done in the shortest amount of time possible. Here are some ideas on how you can increase the amount of calories you burn during your walking workout.


  • Sticking To Your Healthy Eating Plans
    [Health-and-Fitness] Making the decision to eat healthier isn’t very hard. The next step – actually starting to eat foods that are better for you – is a little tougher, but the hardest part is sticking to your healthy eating plans over the next couple of weeks. The good news is that if you keep eating healthy, it will soon become a lifelong habit. Let’s take a look at what you can do to make sure you continue to eat healthy until it does become a habit.


  • Making Cookies With The Kids – A Fun Way To Spend Quality Time
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Are you looking for something fun to do with the kids this afternoon? Bake a batch of warm, gooey cookies. Not only is it a lot of fun to make these sweet treats together, eating them afterwards is just as much fun.


  • 7 Great Home Organizing Tips
    [Home-and-Family] Don't you just hate wasting hours each week trying to find stuff in your home? It's hard not to let at least part of your house get unorganized and a bit cluttered. That's why it is important to take some time each year or even every couple of months to sort through everything and rearrange. Here are some great home organizing tips for you.


  • How Can I Pay Off These Credit Cards?
    [Finance:Debt-Relief] Do you realize just how much you are paying in interest to credit card companies over the years? If you only made minimum payments, and didn’t add any new charges, it would still take you 30 years to pay off your current balance. Scary though, isn’t it? Especially if you consider how much it can hurt your credit worthiness when you are applying for a loan for a new car or house.


  • New Year’s Resolution – Get Out Of Debt
    [Finance:Debt-Relief] Did you sit down New Year’s Eve and made a resolution that this is the year that you will finally pay off all that consumer debt you’ve accumulated over the past year? Good for you, it’s one of the best things you can do to create a secure financial future for yourself and your family. Your next step should be to create a plan on exactly how you will pay off this debt and then of course put it into action.


  • 3 Tips For Portion Control
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] Next to what you eat, the most important thing when it comes to losing weight is how much you eat. Unfortunately our sense of how much a portion of any given food is has been greatly distorted over the past two decades. Commercially packaged foods that seem to be a single serving actually contain 2 to 3 servings on average. Restaurants have taken this even further.


  • Tips For Potty Training Boys
    [Home-and-Family:Babies-Toddler] When it is time to start potty training, it can be a nerve-racking and scary experience for both parent and child. One thing you should know is that potty-training boys is a whole lot different than potty training your daughter. The key to successful potty training for any child is trust and finding what works best for them. You can take advice and potty training tips from other mothers in your family or circle of friends, but remember what worked best for them, might not be ideal for you and your son.


  • Make Your Walking Workout More Fun
    [Health-and-Fitness:Aerobics-Cardio] If you have been walking as a part of your workout routine for a while, you may start to get a little bored after a while, especially if you are walking the same route every day, or use a treadmill. Before you know it, you get bored with your walking workout and stop. The key to keep walking and working out is to make it more fun and mix things up. Here are some great tips to make your walking workout more fun.


  • Inexpensive Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] Christmas is just a few days away and you need a few more last minute gifts. Unfortunately you already spend more than you had planned this year. You need some inexpensive last minute gifts. Here are a few ideas for you.


  • Gifts In A Jar – A Great Last Minute Christmas Present
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] Here it is just a few days before Christmas, and you all of a sudden realize you need a few more gifts. Should you make a frantic dash to the mall and fight with everyone else over the last few affordable and decent presents? If you’re like me, that idea doesn’t sound appealing at all. What if you could make a personal gift instead that your friends and family will love?


  • Take Your Winter Workout In The Snow
    [Health-and-Fitness:Exercise] Winter is such a great time to mix up your workout and exercise while playing in the snow. Anyone who has been skiing knows what a great all-body workout it is – simply by the fact that you can barely move the first morning after a full day on the slopes. But skiing isn’t the only great workout you can get in the snow. Here are some more fun ideas.


  • Eczema – It Doesn’t Just Affect Infants
    [Health-and-Fitness:Skin-Care] When we think of eczema, we often thing of it as a disease that affects only infants who will eventually outgrow it. While it is true that eczema is very common in infants – it is estimated that about 15 percent of all infants suffer from this skin condition – there is also quite a large number of older kids and adults who are affected as well. For some of them eczema starts in infancy, others don’t experience outbreaks until later in life. Thankfully many infants with eczema, outgrow it within just a few months or years.


  • Is It Time To Potty Train?
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] One of the crucial elements of successful potty training is starting at the right time? So what does that mean? Unfortunately our kids don’t come with an instructional manual that tells you when they are ready to be potty trained. Instead our kids will tell us when it is time to get out the potty and ditch that diaper. All you need to do is keep your eyes open and look for some of these signs.


  • 3 Great Potty Training Tips
    [Home-and-Family:Babies-Toddler] There are a few things about potty training that if you get them "just right" getting your little one out of diapers will be a breeze. I’d like to share 3 of my best potty training tips with you to help you get off to a great start and make toilet training a pleasant experience for both you and your toddler.


  • 7 Benefits Of Menu Planning
    [Food-and-Drink] If you've been thinking about menu planning but need a little extra push to get started, please read on. You will find 7 great reasons why planning your meal, especially dinner, ahead of time is a good idea. Hopefully this will convince you to give meal planning a try. Once you start, you will realize just how beneficial it is to you and your family, and soon you won’t be able to imagine cooking for your family without a plan.


  • Top 3 Eczema Causes And What You Can Do About It
    [Health-and-Fitness:Diseases] Do you know what may be causing your eczema? Usually eczema outbreaks are brought on by external influences. The best thing you can do to avoid or at least minimize future outbreaks is to determine what is causing your eczema to flare up, and then avoid those causes in the future. Here are three of the most common causes for eczema and what you can do to avoid them.


  • 3 Great Natural Eczema Treatments
    [Health-and-Fitness:Skin-Care] If you are suffering from eczema, you are always looking for treatment options to minimize the discomfort caused by outbreaks. While there are quite a few prescription treatments for eczema on the market, they usually come with quite a few unpleasant side effects. Many eczema sufferers have turned to natural eczema treatments instead. Here are a few simple options you can try to gain control over your eczema without having to resort to prescription medication.


  • Fun Christmas Activities For Kids
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] Are your kids anxiously waiting for Christmas to get here? I don't know about you, but I'm starting to get tired of answering to "Is it Christmas yet, Mom?". Here are some fun Christmas Activities for kids that will keep them busy while they wait for Santa.


  • Because It’s More Fun To Make It Yourself – Homemade Kids Crafts
    [Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] One of our favorite things to do as kids was to play with play dough. I don’t even want to guess how many tubs of that stuff we went through. It’s always the hands-on, get-to-touch it kind of crafts that seem to fascinate young children the most.


  • Fun Ideas To Practice ABCs With Your Child
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Being able to recognize the letters of the alphabet is an important pre-requisite to both reading and writing. Unfortunately learning and practicing letters can be a bit boring. Make it more fun with some of these ideas to help your child practice the ABCs.


  • How To Use a Potty Training Chart To Help Your Child Get Potty Trained Faster
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] One of my favorite tools in potty training is a potty training chart. The basic idea is to hang a simple little chart either in the bathroom, or in a prominent spot in your house that your child sees often. Then every time your child successfully goes to the potty you place a mark or sticker on the chart recording his or her progress.


  • Planning Your Child's Birthday Party
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Are you having a birthday party for your child? The idea of having to feed, entertain and take care of 20 little kids who are filled up on sugar can seem like a daunting task. At the same time, you want your child to enjoy his party and get a change to join in on the fun. With a little bit of planning you can have a great time along with the kids.


  • How To Choose A Good Potty Chair
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Your child is starting to show some interest in potty training and is at the right age. So you race to the store to get your little one a potty. If you're like me, you didn't realize how many options there are these days when it comes to potty chairs. You will find little potties that sit on the floor, inserts for a regular toilet, character-based potty chairs and even models that come with sound and light effects. Which one will be right for your child?


  • Why Is Too Much Salt Bad For You
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] Did you know that the average American consumes between 4,000 and 5,000 mg of sodium (or salt) a day. That is close to double the recommended amount we should be consuming. So, how can we start eating less salt in our daily diet, without sacrificing flavor?


  • Vegetables - Health Food Or Killers
    [Food-and-Drink] With the recent outbreak of e-coli traced back to bagged spinach of all things, the FDA now suggests consumers thoroughly wash all bagged produce (including salad) before consuming it to avoid the extreme diarrhea e-coli bacterial can cause.


  • Let's Play Outside – 4 Fun Outdoor Activities For Families
    [Kids-and-Teens] With the weather finally starting to cool down, now is a great time to go outside and play with your kids. Not only is the sunshine and fresh air good for everyone in the family, but playing outside is also a great way to get some exercise. Here are some ideas for you and your kids.


  • Tips For Potty Training A Stubborn Toddler
    [Home-and-Family:Babies-Toddler] I potty trained quite a few kids over the years, but I have to tell you, my daughter has been the toughest so far. She is just such a stubborn child – especially when it comes to potty training. If you are in the same situation, here are some tips that have worked for my daughter and me. With a little luck they will work for you as well.


  • Family Game Night – A Great Way To Spend Quality Time With Your Kids
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] We recently started to play board games on a regular basis in our family. Even I was surprised how great of a time everyone involved is having. Not only was it a lot of fun to play board and card games, but we also got to chat about our day and anything else that’s going on in our busy lives.


  • Pay Off Your Debt In Just A Few Years
    [Finance:Debt-Relief] Are you tired of watching your debt grow month after month? Do you realize how much you are paying in interest over the years to the companies you have credit cards with? We’ve all done it and sometimes it feels like there’s just no way out of the credit trap. I’ll share how you can start paying off your debt rather quickly by taking small steps and sticking with the plan.


  • Taking Control Of Your Credit Card Debt
    [Finance:Debt-Relief] The average American has over $8000 in credit card debt. Making minimum payments and not accumulating any more debt, it would take you 30 years to pay off the card and thousands more in interest. That's why an important part of any family budget is to reduce and pay off that debt as soon as possible. Here are some ideas to get you on a road of no more credit card debt.


  • How To Motivate Kids To Get Ready For School In The Morning
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Are you tired of fussing and fighting with your kids to get them out of the door and onto the bus? Getting them out of bed, dressed, feed and on there way isn’t always an easy task, especially when they don’t really want to do it. Here are some tips on how to motivate kids to get ready for school in the morning


  • Tips For Healthy Snacking
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] We all do it, we grab a little snack in-between meals to curb our hunger and keep our energy levels up. And there's nothing wrong with that. Snacking is actually good for you, as long as you stick with healthy food options. Let's take a look at how you can transform your fridge and pantry into a haven of healthy snacks that will keep you from grabbing chips or cookies when you get hungry in-between meals.


  • Tips To Get Your Child To Clean His Room
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Are you tired of constantly reminding on your child to clean his room? And then come back 30 minutes later to find him playing with his toys, the room looking worse than ever? Then try some of these tips to get your child motivated to clean his room.


  • Great Cardio Workouts You Can Do At Home
    [Health-and-Fitness:Aerobics-Cardio] You know how important cardio workouts are for your health and wellbeing, but it's hard to get a good cardio workout in when you can’t leave to house to go to the gym or for a run. Here are some great cardio workouts you can do right at home.


  • 7 Ways To Cheer Your Kids Up On A Rainy Day
    [Kids-and-Teens] You know those days... It’s been pouring for hours (or even day) and the kids have the Rainy Day Blues. Here are some simple ways to cheer them up and keep them entertained until the weather clears up.


  • Yummy Halloween Treats
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] Other than dressing up in costumes, Halloween is all about yummy treats. Of course you are not limited to just candy when it comes to Halloween food. Here are some great snack and meal ideas. These are perfect for a Halloween party, or as a way to enjoy the excitement as you count down to the big day.


  • Take Your Workout To The Backyard
    [Health-and-Fitness] Variety is the key to keeping your workouts interesting. If you are already spending a fun afternoon with the kids in the back yard, why now work in a great workout while you are out there. You are setting a great example for the kids and may even get them to join you.


  • Do We Need A Family Budget?
    [Finance:Budgeting] You've been thinking about making a family budget, but so far you just haven't gotten around to it yet. Making a family budget may not be the most fun thing to do, but it really isn't all that hard and may help you save a lot of money.


  • Saving Gas By Changing Your Driving
    [Automotive] We don’t have control over the price per gallon of gasoline, but we can change how much we spend on gas each week by the way we drive. Here are some tips to start saving gas by changing your driving.


  • Halloween Cakes – Centerpiece and Dessert
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] A Halloween cake is not only the perfect dessert for any Halloween party and a must have for someone with a birthday on or around October 31st, but also makes a great center piece for your food table if you are throwing any type of Halloween party. Here are two simple, yet impressive Halloween cakes that you can try this year.


  • Healthy Treats For Little Trick-Or-Treaters This Halloween
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] Candy and other sweets don't have to be the only treats you hand out to little trick-or-treaters this Halloween. There are also plenty of healthy options available that will be just as fun without causing a sugar rush and cavities. Here are some ideas for healthy treats you can use this year.


  • Fun Halloween Games
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] Make a Spider Web All you need for this fun game is a ball of black, white, or silver yarn or string and a few kids. Have everyone stand around in a circle. Ask one child to hold one end of the string and then toss the ball to another kid. Each child holds on the string and then tosses it to someone else. Before you know it you'll have a great spider web.


  • Halloween Craft: Make Halloween Masks with Paper Mache
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] You'll need just a few things to make just about any mask you can imagine. Those items include balloons, newspaper, wallpaper glue and some acrylic paint. A pair of sharp scissors comes in handy to cut out eyes and mouth. Wear old clothing, or put an apron on both you and your child. Making the mask can get a bit messy.


  • Using Public Restrooms While Potty Training
    [Home-and-Family:Babies-Toddler] You've been potty training your little one and so far things are moving along smoothly. She has figured out how to use the potty and there are hardly any accidents. It is time to finally venture outside the home without training pants. This of course means that she will have to start using public restrooms. Using an unfamiliar bathroom can be a bit of a challenge for both parent and child during this stage. Here are some tips to make the adjustment easier on both of you. Before you know it your little girl will be comfortable using a public restroom.


  • I Just Don't Have The Time To Exercise
    [Health-and-Fitness:Exercise] How many times have you said to yourself that you just don’t have the time to exercise? Don't feel bad; it's my favorite excuse as well. We all have busy lives and not much time for anything in our schedule. That's why I wanted to share some of my favorite ways to sneak some exercise into everyday activities with you.


  • Tips for Fun-Filled Trick-or-Treating For Your Kids
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] What's a child's favorite part of Halloween? Going trick-or-treating, of course. What could be more fun than dressing up, and then walking from door to door collecting plenty of candy along the way? Best of all, this fun tradition takes place at night. Make this the most fun trick-or-treating experience for your child with these simple tips.


  • Halloween Costume Ideas for Toddlers
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] Dressing up your toddler for Halloween is a lot of fun. Enjoy it while you can. Before you know it your sweet little toddler will be in kindergarten or first grade and will have developed a much stronger opinion on his or her costume choices and you'll no longer be able to dress him in the costume of your choice. Here are a few ideas for toddler Halloween costumes to get you started. Of course there are plenty of other options out there as well. With a little creativity, the possibilities are endless.


  • Origin of Halloween
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] Have you ever wondered where the idea of dressing up for Halloween, or the idea for Halloween in general came from? After all, it is kind of an odd tradition. Children dress up in costumes, pretending to be someone else and then "threaten" to play a trick on their neighbors, unless they receive some candy.


  • Fun Baked Birthday Treats
    [Food-and-Drink:Recipes] The traditional birthday cake isn’t the only yummy option you have when it comes to baked goods for your child’s birthday party. We have come up with some other ideas that are more than just a substitute for a birthday cake. They are creative, delicious and just plain different.


  • Embroidery Gift Ideas
    [Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] Embroidered items make great gifts. Not only do they have that handmade feel to them, but you can personalize almost anything with some simple embroidery and make it special. Here are a few ideas for gifts you can make if you love to embroider.


  • Coping With Morning Sickness In The Office
    [Home-and-Family:Pregnancy] Chances are you will continue working through at least the first part of your pregnancy. Being tired an nauseous in the office isn’t a very pleasant experience, but there are quite a few things you can do to make yourself more comfortable and cope with your morning sickness in the office.


  • Help, My Prenatal Vitamins Are Making Me Sick
    [Home-and-Family:Pregnancy] You are 2 months pregnant and your morning sickness is raging at full force. You know you need to be taking your prenatal vitamins to keep your developing baby healthy and give your own body the nutrients it needs to stay healthy during this pregnancy. At the same time, simply the thought of having to swallow the vitamin pill is enough to turn your face green.


  • Tips For Buying A Sewing Machine Online
    [Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] You can get some great deals on sewing machines when you purchase them online. Companies that sell them don’t have to worry about the overhead of a brick and mortar store and you get the convenience of having the sewing machine shipped to your front door.


  • Finding Out What's Causing Your Migraines
    [Health-and-Fitness:Headaches-Migraines] If you are suffering from frequent migraines, chances are that there are certain triggers that set your migraines off. Those could be foods, drinks, smells, or certain chemicals. Once you find out what your particular migraine triggers are, you can then avoid them and reduce the amount of migraines you get.


  • Finding Deals On Fabric For Your Sewing Projects
    [Home-and-Family:Crafts-Hobbies] If you love to sew and work on different projects, you are always on the lookout for a great deal on fabric. And if you are just starting out, you don’t want to spend a lot on fabric in case you make a mistake and have to start over. Here are some of my favorite ways to shop for great deals on fabric.


  • 7 Habits Of Healthy Eating
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] Healthy eating and living a healthy lifestyle has a lot to do with forming the right habits. Here are seven of the best habits you can develop when it comes to healthy eating. Start by picking one of them and making it a habit of your own before moving on to the next. Before you know it, you will have developed a much healthier eating lifestyle.


  • Make Your Workout More Effective – Simply By Changing When You Work Out
    [Health-and-Fitness] Who would have thought that you can quickly and easily make your workout more effective, simply by changing when you work out? If you are trying to lose some weight, getting some exercise each week (preferably about 30 minutes a day) will go a long way towards reaching your goal. Here are three great reasons why you should work out in the morning.


  • The Best Tip For Great Looking Abs You Can Show Off This Summer
    [Health-and-Fitness:Build-Muscle] Who doesn’t want to show off a flat stomach and great looking abs this summer? As bathing suit and beach time come closer more and more of us are lying in the living room floor doing crunches or working out on various machines at the gym tying to find the fastest way to get our abdominal muscles to show. But there is one big mistake most people make when it comes to developing great looking abs that can sabotage all their hard work.


  • Let's Eat Outside – Great Kid-Friendly Picnic Ideas
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Summer is finally here and with the kids home all day this is the perfect time for a picnic. Pack up some food, cool drinks and a blanket and head for the park, playground or even just the backyard.


  • When Is The Right Time To Potty Train?
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] There isn’t a simple answer for this question. The truth is each child decides on his or her own when it is time to start peeing in the potty. There is however a general age range and somewhere during that time your child will be ready for potty training.


  • Do Disposable Diapers Make Potty Training Harder?
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Yes, I think disposable diapers make potty training harder. If you look at the average age a child was potty trained even just a generation ago, you can see that kids now take a lot longer to give up the diaper in exchange for using the potty.


  • Regression In Potty Training
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Your child has done so well with her potty training. Then, all of a sudden she starts wetting her pants, hides to do “her business” or asks for a diaper or pull-up. What happened?


  • Should I Reward My Child For Using The Potty?
    [Home-and-Family:Babies-Toddler] You have probably come across potty training sticker charts and other rewards systems that parents use when potty training their children. Some parents will simply use the stickers as a reward, others will reward their child’s overall progress with a bigger prize or present (like a new toy) once they get a certain amount of stickers on their chart.


  • 5 Must Ask Questions for Anyone Potty Training A Toddler
    [Home-and-Family:Babies-Toddler] If you are thinking about starting to potty train your toddler, there are a few questions you should ask yourself before you begin potty training. Being well prepared for this challenging transition from diapers to potty is one of the best things you can do to make this as easy as possible on your child.


  • Make Dinner For Dad This Father's Day
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] With the weather being nice and warm outside, why not let the kids help prepare dinner for dad on Father’s Day and make it a fun night out by the grill. During the day, let the kids make decorations like handprints on a paper tablecloth, blow up balloons or make some simple paper lanterns. Then let them help you with dinner preparations. A great Father’s Day dinner from the grill includes delicious grilled steaks, pasta salad and Texas toast. Finish it all off with scrumptious brownies a la mode.


  • Morning Sickness Relief
    [Home-and-Family:Pregnancy] I still haven’t figured out why they call it morning sickness. If you ask me, it’s all day every day sickness. For many of us, dealing with the queasiness and nausea of morning sickness is the hardest part about being pregnant.


  • Rev Up Your Metabolism For Faster Weight Loss
    [Health-and-Fitness:Weight-Loss] As you eat less to lose weight, your body goes into survival mode and your metabolism slows down. A slowed down metabolism means you are burning less calories.


  • Healthy Easter Treats – Easter Bunnies Bring More Than Chocolate Eggs
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] Easter baskets don't have to be full of chocolate and peeps. Here are some great ideas that will fill your Easter basket without all the extra fat and sugar.


  • April Fool's Day Treats – You Are Serving WHAT For Dinner?
    [Food-and-Drink] April Fool’s Day is the perfect day to have fun with the meals you serve. Surprise your family on April 1st with these fun meal ideas.


  • St. Patrick's Day Treats
    [Food-and-Drink] Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day this year with some of these fun and of course mostly green St. Patrick’s Day Treats.


  • Dr. Seuss Inspired Recipes – Your Kids Will Love These
    [Food-and-Drink:Recipes] What child doesn't grow up with Dr. Seuss books? We have quite a few of them lying around the house. The kids love the silly characters and the rhymes. The Dr. Seuss inspired recipes that I'm about to share with you have been a great hit in my house. Of course the famous green eggs and ham are included, but there are also quite a few other snack and meal ideas.


  • Walking for Weight Loss and Fitness - Pedometer Basics
    [Health-and-Fitness] A pedometer is a neat little gadget that will help you track how much walking you have done in a day. It can be a helpful tool in getting into and sticking with an exercise schedule. Let's take a look at how you can use a pedometer to get into shape.


  • What's A Pedometer And Why Would I Need One?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Exercise] A pedometer is a great inexpensive exercising tool that tracks your progress and keeps you motivated to stick to your daily workout. Let’s take a look at what exactly a pedometer is and why you need one.


  • 5 Quick and Healthy Breakfast Ideas
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. A recent study has shown that women who skip breakfast consume an average of 100 calories more than those who eat breakfast. Enjoying a healthy breakfast in the morning will also keep your blood sugar levels even, which will help you stay more alert and in a better mood.


  • How To Make Sure You Will Give Up On Your Weight Loss Resolution In 4 Weeks
    [Health-and-Fitness:Weight-Loss] Every year millions of us make a New Year’s resolution to lose weight. Every year millions of us give up before the end of January. Let’s take a look at some of the things we do to set ourselves up for failure year after year.


  • How To Set Sensible Weight-Loss Goals
    [Health-and-Fitness:Weight-Loss] The key to any successful weight-loss endeavor is to set some sensible weight loss goals. Setting goals will let you track your progress and gives you a definite target to aim for. You don’t want to aim too high and set yourself up for failure or even worse, risk your health by losing too much too fast. At the same time, you want to set a goal that is a little bit of a challenge. Here are some guidelines on how to come up with a sensible weight-loss goal.


  • Make A Weight-Loss New Year's Resolution And Stick With It All Year Long
    [Health-and-Fitness:Weight-Loss] Losing weight is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions each year. We all start with great intentions but after a few weeks, we fall back into our usual unhealthy lifestyle and the weight we did lose creeps back on. Let’s take a look at what steps to take to make sure we still stick to our weight-loss resolution at the end of December.


  • Healthy Holiday Eating - Bring Something Good To The Party
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] It seems that we’re invited to a party or family get-together every other night in the weeks before the Holidays. Unfortunately most of the dishes that are brought to those events are not exactly healthy. We all tend to overindulge during the holiday season, tempted by all the unhealthy treats around. But to be honest with you, I get tired of all the rich and fattening food rather quickly and welcome a healthy fresh alternative. This is your year to shine with that healthy dish the next time you are asked to bring something to a holiday party. Here are a few ideas to get you started.


  • Are You Drinking Enough Water?
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] You probably already know that it’s important to drink enough water. A minimum of eight glasses of water a day is recommended. You should aim for more if it is really hot, or you are working out and sweating a lot. Getting enough water in your body will prevent you from getting dehydrated. According to WEBMD the early signs of dehydration are increased thirst, dry mouth, sticky saliva and reduced urine output with dark yellow urine. You may also experience a lack of energy and a headache. None of these sound very fun. I know it is hard sometimes to drink that much water; especially when sodas and coffee tempt us. However, to stay healthy and feel great, we should strive to drink those eight glasses of water a day. Here are a few tips to help you remember to drink the water, and to make it a little more pleasant or interesting.


  • Tips For Healthy Eating During The Holiday Season
    [Home-and-Family:Holidays] The time from Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day has to be the hardest few weeks to stick to a healthy eating lifestyle or any diet for that matter. We are constantly tempted by sweets, treats and just way to much food in general. I would like to share a few tips with you that have helped me in the past to stay on track between now and the end of the year.


  • 10 Ways To Sneak Some Extra Fruits and Vegetables In Your Family's Diet
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] We all know by now that we should be eating at least five servings of fruits and vegetables each day. But knowing and doing are two different things, aren’t they? Sometimes it is just not easy to get them all in there. We are constantly tempted to fill up on convenience and junk food. If your family is anything like mine, they’d much rather fill up on a bag of chips or a bowl of rice or pasta instead of trying an apple or a plate of steamed broccoli. So we’ll have to get creative. Here are a few ideas to “sneak” some extra vegetables and fruits in your family’s diet.


  • 10 Fun Ways To Become More Active - Every Day
    [Health-and-Fitness:Exercise] You know you should be getting some sort of exercise, you know of all the health benefits that come with a more active lifestyle. You’ve tried the whole Gym thing, but it just wasn’t for you. The temptation to just sit in front of the TV, to curl up with a good book, or to spend a little extra time at your computer is just too big. Who wants to head to the gym right now anyway? There are many other options to get more active that don’t include jogging, weight lifting or other “traditional” ways to work out. Here are a few ideas to get you moving


  • 8 Fun Ideas To Get Your Kids To Eat Their Veggies
    [Health-and-Fitness:Nutrition] Do you have trouble getting your kids to eat their veggies? I sure do. My daughter used to be great about trying and eating just about anything…and then she turned 2 ½. Now it is pretty much impossible to get her to eat anything other than corn when it comes to vegetables. So I had to come up with some fun and sometimes sneaky ways to get some veggies in her. Here are a few of my favorites.


  • Grocery Shopping The Healthy Menu Mailer Way
    [Food-and-Drink] I have to admit, grocery shopping isn’t exactly one of my favorite things to do. In case you can’t “hear” the sarcasm in my voice, let me tell you that I’d rather be doing just about anything other than grocery shopping. I tried delegating it to my husband, but we usually end up eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and potato chips when I do that. Since I can’t avoid grocery shopping, I found a few things that make it a more pleasant and most importantly a faster process. I’d like to share my grocery shopping tips with you.


  • Fun Around Town This Labor Day Weekend
    [Home-and-Family] With gas prices skyrocketing this Labor Day weekend, it may be a good idea to skip the road trip and stay in town. That doesn’t mean you can’t have just as much fun though. Here are a few ideas you can try in lieu of that road trip.


  • Let's Pretend
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Children explore the world around them and learn through pretend play. With so many passive activities like watching TV and playing video games, we sometimes need to encourage our children to pretend play. Here are a few suggestions on how to get those creative juices flowing for both you and your child.


  • Fun Things to Do with Your Kids this Summer
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] For a family with small children like my own, a big family vacation in the summer isn’t always an option. But just because your summer entertainment budget is small doesn’t mean you and your kids can’t have lots of fun this summer. Here are ten ideas to get you started on lots of fun this summer – on a budget.


  • A Fun Day at the Zoo
    [Travel-and-Leisure] When was the last time you took your kids to the zoo? Do you remember how much fun they had, and do you remember how much you enjoyed watching their faces light up when they watched the penguins being fed, or the chimpanzees chasing each other around the exhibit? Isn’t it time you packed up your family and headed to the nearest zoo?


  • Backyard Camping Trip
    [Travel-and-Leisure:Camping] Are your kids begging you to take them camping, but you just can’t find the time to take them on a camping trip? Or would you like to introduce your kids to the fun of camping for the first time, but aren’t sure if they will enjoy it, or might get scared? Either way, camping out in your backyard will be a fun way to spend the evening and night with your kids.


  • Does Your Child Need A Bedtime Routine? - Yes!
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Some easy to follow suggestions and advice on establishing a bedtime routine for your child.


  • Create a Story Book with Your Child
    [Home-and-Family:Parenting] Writing is still one of our major forms of communication as well as a great way to express ourselves. Creating a storybook with your child is a fun way to introduce him or her to creative writing. You will also get to spend a few hours of quality time together and the end result will become a family treasure for years to come.


  • Spring Cleaning - Time to Tackle Your Closet
    [Home-and-Family] Spring is on it’s way and even though it may already be tempting to spend the day outside, take a few hours to clean out your closet. You’ll be glad you did when it is finally time to dig out those t-shirts and shorts.




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