If you’re not careful, having an infant will cost you a small fortune. Some expenses are unavoidable, but many can be avoided. Toys are a great example. Babies don’t need fancy, expensive toys. They’re typically content with the basics: rattles, blocks, balls, blankets, stuffed animals, etc. In fact, if you look around your home, you … [Read more...] about Common Household Items that Double as Baby Toys
Summer 2015 Menu
Summer is about to arrive and we are excited for lots of fun in the sun and for our new menu! As I’ve shared many times previously, I periodically develop monthly menus. We use each for 3 consecutive months before moving on to a fresh one (see more on why and how I plan monthly menus here). I make a habit of including at least one … [Read more...] about Summer 2015 Menu
10 Summer Get Together Ideas
Given that we often pack our summers with vacations, yard projects, and camping trips, it can be difficult to find time to get together and hang out with friends. It’s so important that we fellowship with our friends, though, so we shouldn’t put socializing on hold until the busy summer months have passed. Fortunately, there are a … [Read more...] about 10 Summer Get Together Ideas
Food Safety at Barbecues and Picnics
‘Tis the season for picnics and barbecues. I’m eager to eat a juicy burger, flavorful baked beans, and refreshing watermelon. What I’m not eager for is foodborne illness, a surprisingly common consequence of improper food handling at these gatherings. Fortunately, several commonsense measures can keep us safe as we enjoy our favorite foods … [Read more...] about Food Safety at Barbecues and Picnics
What Determines if Your Day Is Good or Bad?
If you’re anything like me and many people I know, you absentmindedly respond to questions about your day with words such as “fine” or “okay.” If you really take time to reflect on your day instead of automatically responding with one of these neutral words, what factors determine if your day is good or bad? I realized recently that I … [Read more...] about What Determines if Your Day Is Good or Bad?
Road Tripping with Baby: Tips for an Enjoyable Ride
Don’t you just love road trips—the miles of open road, beautiful scenery, and roadside curiosities to explore during stops? Well, at least that’s how it was before becoming the parent of an infant! Now the list goes something like this: a screaming baby in the backseat, a poopsplosion all over the car seat, and stressed out … [Read more...] about Road Tripping with Baby: Tips for an Enjoyable Ride
Ways to Conserve Water Outside the Home
Last week we looked at dozens of ways we can conserve water in the home. Water conservation outside the home is just as important. In fact, given how much water is used in yards, it may be even more important! Water use outside the home is so critical because urban lawn watering is the single largest demand on the majority of municipal … [Read more...] about Ways to Conserve Water Outside the Home
Overcoming the Anxieties of Motherhood
It wasn’t until I saw a second line appear on a home pregnancy test that I began to understand just how much anxiety is associated with motherhood. At first it was concerns about the possibility of miscarriage, preterm labor, or stillbirth. These concerns soon gave way to fears about SIDS and apprehension about whether or not to sleep … [Read more...] about Overcoming the Anxieties of Motherhood
