Family & Parenting Articles

1. Baby Shower Gift Ideas

By Criss White Selecting a present for a new mom or dad can be a challenging task. Baby showers are a great way to help support a new mother with her new baby. New mothers can sign up at a gift registry to avoid duplicate gifts and to indicate her gift preferences. Here are some good gift ideas for baby showers: 1) Diapers - Diapers are a popular gift for baby showers. Every new mother ... read more

2. Oh Baby! Choosing the Right Baby Name

By Granmamma Choosing a Baby Name: By: GranMamma Naming a baby is no easy task. However, the following tips will help you give your baby his or her very first gift. 1. Religion: For some parents, religion plays a major role in choosing a baby name. Roman Catholics traditionally choose saints’ names. Jews traditionally choose Old Testament names. Names of deceased relatives are often chosen. Protestant... read more

3. Taking your Kids Perspective

By Mark Brandenburg "As a child, the critical eye of my father seemed to follow me around wherever I went." (Arthur C. Clarke) It's quite easy for most fathers to look at their kids with a critical eye. And why not? There's a lot riding on the outcome of your kids' development. There's the nagging worry that you're not doing your job well enough and that your child will develop "problems." There's also the fear... read more

4. Creative Soap Crafts

By Alli Ross Creative Soap Crafts Soap is a craft that is fun and easy to make. It's a great project to do with your kids.Simply follow the instructions below and you'll be on your way to one of your first bars of soap..... where you choose all the soap colors and shapes. You will need the following materials: - One bar of color free soap - Essential oils of your choice - Food coloring of your choi... read more

5. Are you suffering from payment protection overload?

By Rachel Lane There are so many types of payment protection insurance around that it can be difficult to know where to start. This article provides a brief summary of the different types of payment protection insurance and how they can help you. Critical illness insurance: Critical illness insurance will cover you in the event of a serious illness such as cancer, coronary artery by-pass surg... read more

6. Baby Acne

By Jackie G. Maxwell One of the most common conditions a new mother may see on her infant, is baby acne. But while it is startling in so young a child, it’s really not a serious issue, nor should you be overly concerned about the causes or cures. Some babies when born, may have small red bumps on their face. This is not baby acne, but something called “milia”, which usually disappears in a couple of weeks. On the... read more

7. Change

By Kim Olver One thing in life is certain---change. Things never stay the same. If you are hoping for the status quo, then I’m afraid you will be disappointed. Just think back to how things were five years ago and you will realize that there is so very much that’s already different in a very short time. I’m sure there are some of you who know people who refused to adapt to the computer age. I still know som... read more

8. Writing Your Wedding Vows the Way Poets Do

By Chris Simeral Let’s face it, not many of us have the kind of skills or experience to write truly poetic wedding vows. Or do we? Here’s the truth: Even if you don’t know Dylan Thomas from Bob Dylan, and you’re pretty sure T.S. Elliot was that guy who wrote the words to Andrew Lloyd Weber’s “Cats,” all is not lost! In fact, there are ways to learn to write the words you want. With four simple steps, you can take ... read more

9. How to Choose a Baby Gate

By Jackie G. Maxwell Once your baby is out of their crib and playpen, you're going to need some way of ensuring their safety. That's why learning how to choose a baby gate can be one of the most important things you'll do while baby-proofing the house. The first place you'll want to install a baby gate, is at the top, and bottom of any stairway the baby may have access to. Gates installed at the top of stairways ... read more

10. Who Cares What YOU Think?

By Alice Seba "I hate pop-ups!" "Audio that starts on a website without warning is annoying." "What's with these 15-20 page sales letters that just go on and on? I would never buy anything from a site like that." "I hate those websites that make me give their email address before giving me any information. When I see those, I click away immediately." And the list of complaints goes on. If we hate... read more

11. How to answer your call in mid-life

By Craig Nathanson Hank Bochenski’s story proves it is never too late to walk away from a life you feel trapped in and do something that you really love. Hank spent 30 years in demanding senior positions at large high-tech companies. By the time he went home each day, he felt like all the blood had been drained out of him. Hank’s real passion was his collection of more than 1,000 movies. He... read more

12. Updated Hurricane Teaching Tips

By Freda J. Glatt, M.S. With this severe, active, hurricane season underway, here are some ideas to make areas of the curriculum relevant to your children. There are also suggestions for dealing with the aftermath of a catastrophic hurricane. If you are in an area that experiences other natural phenomena, just adapt these suggestions to fit your needs. 1. Have children express their feelings. Youngsters will be able... read more

13. Ideas For Toddler Halloween Costumes

By Jackie G. Maxwell Depending on the age of your little ones, you may want to keep ideas for toddler Halloween costumes on the simple side. Since most of the very youngest trick or treaters are only going out to amuse the grandparents and immediate neighbors, it needn't be terribly complicated to still bring a lot of smiles. For infants, and those who get tired of walking, animal costumes work very well, can be d... read more

14. 6 Reasons to Exercise during Pregnancy

By Criss White Everyone knows that exercise is good for your health. Exercising during pregnancy can have additional benefits. Generally, exercise should be light, especially during the first few weeks of pregnancy while your body adjusts to the changes. Heavy exercise can divert blood flow from crucial areas and most women that exercise regularly should tone down their workouts during pregnancy. Walking, swi... read more

15. How to Write Your Own Baby Shower Verses

By Criss White A poem or verse is a literary composition used to express emotions or ideas using literary techniques like rhyme and metaphor. Although there are no set rules for creating poetry, these tips will help you create your own baby shower verses: 1) Often, a one-line verse may be all you need. Short verses are good for personalized gifts where there is limited space, like engr... read more

16. Bring Back a Memory Night

By Brook Noel Here’s a great tip for when you are setting a special table for a family gathering or for close friends. It can be a birthday party, a family reunion, an elaborate dinner, a holiday or anniversary – the more people, the better, although any number can “play.” For your place cards and seating arrangements use a “picture-from-the-past” of each dinner guest. Raid your scrap books and picture albums f... read more

17. Store cards, credit cards and loans – how to borrow money effectively.

By Rachel Lane You don’t have to have the lifestyle demands of Paris Hilton to need extra money these days. According to Credit Action, the total UK personal debt was 1,122 billion, a growth of about 10.5% over the previous year and in the UK and each adult in the UK has an average of 4.1 credit cards in their wallet. In their most recent report, Credit Action also recorded 2.3 million personal loan agree... read more

18. How To Choose the Right Baby Stroller

By Lisa Koshinsky New parents struggle with the decision of which baby stroller they should buy when they are expecting an addition to the family. There are so many different models on the market, all with attractive features, that the choices parents are faced with when they start shopping are staggering. Many of them rely on advice from family and friends and many turn to reviews of different strollers through... read more

19. Suddenly Single and Retirement – What do I do now?!

By Bruce L. Macdonald Whether you’ve lost your significant other through a death or divorce it is emotionally traumatic. You’ve made plans together about retirement, had great hopes and dreams and now all that has evaporated. Now – you’re single with retirement approaching and without your partner. What DO you do? The loss of your significant other, either through divorce or death, will have a huge impact on your li... read more

20. Be Smart With Your Childrens Feelings

By Mark Brandenburg All of you have heard about how important it is to “honor your children’s feelings.” While this seems like a worthy endeavor, it’s a fairly vague notion and can easily be dismissed, especially when your child is crying or whining. But If we look at the benefits of paying close attention to your children’s feelings, it may become an idea that has a great deal of merit. We’d all like... read more

21. Convenience Can Be Costly: Understanding Cash Advances

By James H. Dimmitt Article: Convenience Can Be Costly: Understanding Cash Advances Author: James H. Dimmitt Author e-mail: jimdim815@aol.com word count: 413 characters per line: 60 Permission to reprint this article for your e-zine or on your web site, as long as byline and resource box at end of article remains intact. Please keep links active on web sites or in e-mail. Courtesy copy of your reprint to:... read more

22. Top Ten Ways to Get Your Kids to Listen to You

By Mark Brandenburg There are times when every parent feels as if they might as well be talking to a block of wood. As with many other things, the harder you try to get your kids to listen, the more resistance you get. Here are ten things to consider when you want to get a message across: 1.) Make sure your relationship is solid. If your kids don’t like you, they’re a lot less likely to listen to you. 2... read more

23. When To Call It Quits

By Kara Kelso It's been said many time before that the only way to fail is to quit. While this is true, some times we need to take a step back and ask ourselves if our efforts are really worth it. But when it is the right time to give up? Before you quit, ask yourself the following questions: ~ Have I done all that I can do to make this business grow? We all have our days where we feel all resources ... read more

24. Essential Tips for the Kitchen

By Granmamma Essential Tips for the Kitchen By: GranMamma Cupboards and drawers should contain items that are grouped together. Store items where you use them. Put your plates near the table, knives near island or cutting counter, glasses near the fridge, and coffee items near the coffee machine. Clean and organize your fridge and freezer just like you would any other cabinet: grouping ... read more