With Mother’s Day just around the corner, many of us are thinking about the moms in our lives, especially our own mothers and our mothers-in-law. While many of us know our own mothers quite well and can think of numerous ways to honor them, sometimes it’s more challenging to think of ways to honor our mothers-in-law. We definitely … [Read more...] about 7 Ways to Honor Your Mother-in-Law
Strengthening Family
Wonderful Gifts for Entire Families
It seems that my husband and I struggle every year to come up with ideas for Christmas gifts that will be appreciated by their recipients and fit within our budget. Sometimes the best solution is to use some sort of alternative gift exchange. This year I’ve had another idea that I think is going to work out well: Instead of buying or … [Read more...] about Wonderful Gifts for Entire Families
What to Include in a Care Package for a Loved One with a Chronic Disease
Living with a chronic disease means facing many challenges. These challenges go beyond the physical consequences of the disease (which are significant enough) and include financial hardships, anxiety, and feelings of isolation. My husband and I are quite familiar with these challenges because I suffer from an autoimmune disease. One of … [Read more...] about What to Include in a Care Package for a Loved One with a Chronic Disease
Making Fond Memories When Family Events Don’t Go As Planned
Several weeks ago we attempted to take cake smash photos for our daughter’s first birthday. Everything was “picture perfect” except our daughter’s response. One taste of the frosting on the cake and she had a meltdown! When this happened, I felt a little disappointed. After all, my husband and I wanted wonderful photos to help us … [Read more...] about Making Fond Memories When Family Events Don’t Go As Planned
Gift Ideas for Elderly Relatives
Our older relatives are quite diverse. Some enjoy good health and live independently in the community, while others are frail and live in residential care facilities. Regardless of their health and living situations, many of us find it challenging to select suitable Christmas and birthday gifts for these relatives. After all, they’ve … [Read more...] about Gift Ideas for Elderly Relatives
10 Ways Traditions and Rituals Benefit Families
It was during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons of the years before I met my husband that I was most keenly aware of my single state; I longed to share holiday traditions and rituals with a husband and children of my own. I was so interested in sharing traditions because I remembered enjoying a number of these when I was growing … [Read more...] about 10 Ways Traditions and Rituals Benefit Families
How to Have a Genuinely Enjoyable Staycation
A week and a half ago I presented several reasons why staycations aren’t as lame as you might think. Today we’re going to explore some ways to make staycations fun and interesting. I believe that one significant reason staycations have a reputation of being boring is that vacationers often don’t treat them as true vacations. Instead, … [Read more...] about How to Have a Genuinely Enjoyable Staycation
Why Staycations Aren’t as Lame as You Might Think
A couple of days ago I was looking into staycation ideas. I was surprised to see how many writers view staycations negatively! They described them with words like “stupid,” “boring,” and “pointless.” I’m certainly not a staycation ambassador, but I think the concept of vacationing at home or nearby deserves a much better rap than it is … [Read more...] about Why Staycations Aren’t as Lame as You Might Think
