September 15, 2015 This summer gave me plenty of time to interact closely with my entering-adolescence daughter. It also left me with a sense that we were going to need a different approach to discipline. Raging hormones just aren’t that responsive to sharp words or punishments. I realized that I had to step into her shoes,…
September 29, 2015 Deep in the wilds of Nepal lives a native people group perfectly adapted to the harsh environment and challenges of mountain climbing. Climbers attempting to ascend Mount Everest turn to them as guides. They are Sherpas. Their name has become so synonymous with knowledgeable leadership that in our modern culture, we use…
October 6, 2015 Last Sunday night, my kids and I sat in the middle of a field on a rock watching the moon turn red. My children have always been interested in space but it was so fun to hear them marvel at the idea of seeing Earth’s shadow. “It looks so big,” my daughter said…
October 28, 2015 Ever-evolving technology brings the world to our fingertips, simplifying travel with a little help from our smartphones. New travel apps make it easier than ever to get from point A to point B, notify you of gate changes, or even locate the closest bathroom for a potty break. Here are the seven essential…
October 20, 2015 Pretty much every mom groans in disbelief when they glance down at their calendar. How in the world did we get half way through October?! In honor of standing solidly in the season, I decided to get the real picture of Fall from a variety of moms. I asked them about the best, worst,…
October 27, 2015 ‘Tis the season of sugar highs, haunted houses, and laughing when someone scares the snot out of your friends. I steer clear of anything during this time that could possibly lead to heart attack or piercing someone’s eardrums with my terrified shriek. That being said, I can certainly find the humor in seeing it…
November 17, 2015 We’ve all heard it, especially around this time of year. “It’s better to give than receive!” “Give back to the needy! Work in a soup kitchen or donate to a toy drive!” The idea even pops up in most of our holiday stories. “The Grinch’s small heart grew three sizes that day!”…
December 7, 2015 When the California lemonade stand girl, Vivienne Harr, rang the bell on the New York Stock Exchange floor two years ago to ring in Twitter’s IPO, both she and her dad thought their amazing run had closed with a bang. But they were so wrong. Right after Vivienne, then a fourth grader,…
December 16, 2015 I don’t know if it escaped your notice, but a somewhat popular movie is set to hit theaters this weekend. You might have caught the branding on toys, clothes, water bottles, cereals, toothpaste, vitamins, toilet paper … Star Wars. It’s everywhere you look. If you haven’t already, highly recommend you sit down and…
December 22, 2015 This weekend brought the expected onslaught of Star Wars mania. In addition to the new lines of products with the characters slapped on them, we saw anticipation all over talk shows, news, and video sharing. One of the most popular videos that has been passed around is this unique and fabulous a…
January 8, 2016 It happens every winter. Kids fall into the January doldrums. Despite the new toys that likely came along in December, the short days indoors can cause children to be bored or want to play video games all day. I, like many parents, won’t allow that! Some gentle redirection, and perhaps thinking out of the box,…
January 7, 2016 There’s a real baby boom happening in Tinseltown right now. Some celebs are having their first child while others are adding to their brood. It’s definitely exciting! While we can’t list all of the expectant parents, here’s a list of some of the most notable celebrities with a baby on the way. Chelsea…
January 12, 2016 Three women from very different spheres of my life all made the same comment to me this week. I don’t know if it’s just because the holiday rush is over or if the beginning of the year draws out a little more reflection on the bigger picture of our lives, but they…
January 26, 2016 Be it a massive snowstorm on the East Coast or El Nino rains on the West, many of us face the possibility of days inside with the kids. No matter what your opinion on screen time and video games, they can only hold a child’s attention for a certain amount of time. I’ve worked…
February 2, 2016 Valentine’s Day is less than two weeks away and many of us are stressing about what to do that evening. If you’re single, you could plan a great solo getaway to pamper yourself. If you’re in a relationship, you may need help knowing what not to buy your significant other this year. You…
February 5, 2016 Clutter used to be just about junk and excess things you have lying around the house. Now we even have e-clutter don’t we? Dozens of icons on screens, unread emails, seven screens of apps on our phone, and hundreds of pages stashed in our bookmarks. It’s enough to drive you a little crazy and…
February 9, 2016 Our family took an impromptu trip to Disneyland this weekend. We kept hearing about the fabulous nighttime parade and fireworks, so decided to find a spot early in order to see them both. You would think getting there an hour ahead of time would leave plenty of time but no, it didn’t….
February 17, 2016 It’s that time of year again: In early March, expect your child to spend hours a day feeling antsy and filling out bubbles with a number 2 pencil. As schools are being held more and more accountable for increasing student achievement relative to state learning standards, additional classroom time is being devoted to…
March 8, 2016 It started this summer when I took my son to a robot birthday party at a specialty store. They had this poster on the wall: Two thoughts occurred to me back to back. The first, “He’s probably right. The language of computers will be become as important as our spoken languages.” The second,…
March 30, 2016 Unless you really love what you do, most of us can relate to feeling like our work life is having a serious impact on a personal level. Sometimes it’s a good thing but, too often these days, it’s overwhelmingly negative. Part of this stems from the fact we’re working longer hours (even…
March 17, 2016 These days, we do most of our interaction through social media. Really, it’s a good and a bad thing simultaneously. On the one hand, you are able to keep in touch with a larger number of people than you normally would but you may start to wonder if herding that many cats is more…
April 5, 2016 It’s springtime at the box-office which usually means that, as we gear up for the summer blockbusters, some great titles will be coming to theaters. This year, is no exception. In fact, we may have a little more variety than usual! April 1 Collide – Casey Stein is forced to live on…
March 22, 2016 I’ve entered a bit of an underground battle. It happened completely by accident. The policy at school says all kids have to sit at the lunch tables before school hours. But because we have another earlier drop off, we spend about thirty minutes waiting. I don’t think I’m the only one who…
March 29, 2016 I don’t know about your family, but mine craves adventure. My kids love to see new things but my wallet, sadly, can’t really afford to take them to all of the places that catch their fancy. Frankly, it’s not even possible to reach all of those places! But then we stumbled across…
April 28, 2016 Some summers at the box-office are better than others and 2016 is shaping up to be one of those years that is better! There are so many good new releases, in fact, we can’t even go into all of them. Instead, we’ve selected some great titles to help get your blockbuster season…
May 3, 2016 There’s nothing quite like a summer vacation at the beach. Sunshine, blue skies, beautiful waters, and sandy beaches are the ideal elements of a memorable summer escape with the family. How can we protect the delicate ecosystems of our shorelines, so that the next generation can enjoy a summer at the beach,…
April 26, 2016 Last week, I almost had to punch a co-worker. During a discussion she actually said, “Well, your kids can take care of themselves but my animals can’t.” I’ll pause here to give you a chance to roll your eyes. Still, she can’t be held completely responsible for her perceptions of parenthood. She’s…
July 13, 2016 This election year seems to be more volatile than any other in recent years and, unfortunately, the polarization has begun to affect people’s personal relationships. Many have chosen to keep their opinions private in order to avoid any unnecessary conflict. While that may be best, there are times when you may feel…
May 5, 2016 Mother’s Day is a beautiful opportunity to let that special woman in your life know exactly how you feel about her. If you are a mother, then, of course, you probably have some expectations about what your kids/family should do for you. This can be a recipe for disappointment, unfortunately, especially now…
August 29, 2016 Can you believe that it’s back-to-school time already? It’s incredible how quickly the summer flies by! Sad to say, it’s time to kiss those chill, flexible days goodbye—and figure out how to afford all the beginning-of-the-school-year expenses. Whether it’s school supplies, clothing, or gear, here are our suggestions for dishing out less…
June 29, 2016 It’s that time of year again! It’s time to kick back on the beach, your porch, your couch or even sneak a few minutes on your lunch break to enjoy some great summer reading! Books are great year round but there’s just something about creating a summer reading list that feels so…
June 6, 2016 When Mother’s Day and Father’s Day roll around, it can be tough to know whether to include expectant parents but, really, why wouldn’t we? They are already caring for their child by preparing for their arrival. Interestingly enough, we seem more willing to include pregnant mamas but how wonderful would it be…
May 26, 2016 Searching for a new job can be exciting … and more than a little overwhelming. After dusting off and updating your resumé, you start submitting your credentials in hopes of hearing back from someone (anyone!). You’d think you’d be relieved to get a message from a prospective employer requesting an interview but,…
May 19, 2016 None of us want to talk about something like this but we have to. Every day around the world, children go missing. Sometimes, everything works out and they are returned to the safety of their homes. Sometimes, the outcome is devastating. When a child goes missing, the families rely on many resources…
May 9, 2016 Mothers aren’t known as the subset of people most likely to be spoiled, especially now that Mother’s Day has passed. Breakfast in bed and massages aren’t generally on the schedule. On the other hand, most of us, whether we admit it or not, have some way of injecting a bit of sanity…
May 24, 2016 Not too long ago, I tried to explain to my husband–who works Monday through Friday out of town–why the last year of parenting my daughter had sucked the life out of me. She does homework more or less on her own and follows direction as well as any tween might. Plus, lucky…
June 7, 2016 Memorial Day doesn’t mark the start of summer. Neither does the solstice. We’re parents. Summer starts ten minutes after you walk through the door on that last day of school when kids tell you they’re bored. Many of you have already started “summer.” Our district likes to drag it out until it…
June 21, 2016 Every year, I have a series of moms ask me about workbooks and classes over the summer. Research shows that the “Summer Slide” is a real thing. We should be concerned about keeping our kids mentally and academically sharp through their break. On the other hand, we all know intuitively that our…
July 19, 2016 Starting on August 5th, the world will all be tuned in to watch the biggest global sporting event. There’s something special about the Olympics. It combines culture, physical feats, patriotism, unity, inspiration, and more. It’s the kind of event I want my kids to embrace. Especially when it falls during the summer, the Olympics…
July 29, 2016 The Olympics are set to start on August 5th and the athletes have moved into their housing in the Olympic Village. They are becoming acclimated to the weather, timing, and food in the location where they will spend most of the next couple weeks. So how does the food situation work for such a…
August 10, 2016 Nintendo has been a pioneer in the gaming industry for forever and a day but things have been rough for them over the last couple of years. Not only had sales plummeted but they also lost long-time programmer, developer, and company president, Satoru Iwata, just over a year ago. If it wasn’t…
August 8, 2016 These days, it’s infinitely easier to outfit your kids for dorm life than it was when you and I went to college. Before the dawn of online shopping, I remember how my parents searched for extra-large boxes and an old-fashioned steamer trunk large enough to hold bedding, lamps, wall decorations, posters, and…
August 15, 2016 With the Games in Rio in full swing, you’re probably seeing a lot of sports on TV and in the news. Whether you’re a fan of the Olympics or not, there’s one part of the show that almost no one can resist, and that’s the commercials. Much like the Super Bowl, the commercials…
August 23, 2016 Summer break seems to start off slow—and then suddenly it’s over. As the dog days of sleeping in wind down and the early morning alarm clocks start ringing, it’s enough to make any mom get a little overwhelmed. Take a deep breath. Slow down and remember these five tips to help deal with…
August 24, 2016 Have you ever considered that a smart home can save you money? It may seem counterintuitive: spending money on technology to save money. But it really works. Today’s technology is constantly changing, and one of the areas where there’s been tremendous advances is in smart home technology. A smart home is a…