Jan 3, 2017 | From the Heart, Just for Moms, Moms & Dads, Parenting & Family, Raising Children
By Laura Simon Last Friday was a doozy of a day. My oldest two kids, who are home schooled, were uncharacteristically resistant to anything that resembled learning. Things they usually enjoy weren’t holding their attention, and the only activities they wanted to do...
Nov 30, 2016 | From the Heart, Hot Topics, Just for Dads, Just for Moms, Marriage & Couples, Moms & Dads
By Guest Blogger Suzanne Danhauer 2015 was one of the most painful years of my life. I never want to repeat it, and at the same time I am intensely grateful for it. We had been married 13 years. We had two high-demand careers, 4 young boys, packed schedules, and lots...
Nov 24, 2016 | From the Heart, Holidays, Humor, Moms & Dads, Parenting & Family
By Guest Blogger Laura Simon On my first Thanksgiving as a wife, I decided to throw open the doors of my 900-square-foot house and make dinner for both sides of our newly-connected family. That I had never actually prepared a turkey mattered not at all: HGTV and Food...
Nov 16, 2016 | Books, Supplies & Gear, Education, Moms & Dads, Pop Culture, Books & Movies
By Guest Blogger Ellen Bryant Lloyd Win a book of your choice from today’s blog! Details below! Gratitude: grat·i·tude ˈɡradəˌt(y)o͞od/ noun — the quality of being thankful; readiness to show appreciation for and to return kindness. During the Thanksgiving...
Jun 4, 2016 | From the Heart, Humor, Moms & Dads, Parenting & Family, Raising Children
By Guest Blogger Dennette Bailey My daughter is graduating high school this year. I wish that I could grovel about how much I will miss her when she goes off to boot camp this summer and college in the spring. I feel like I should be focusing on how much I will miss...
Apr 19, 2016 | Children with Special Needs, Children's Health & Wellness, Health, Parenting & Family
By Guest Blogger Suzi Blair I am a former school teacher who has two hearing impaired children. My oldest child was identified at 21 months and my youngest at birth. They both wear bilateral hearing aids. My children received services from the state until the age of...
Mar 3, 2016 | From the Heart, Humor, Just for Moms, Moms & Dads
By Kelly Hines Every morning, my husband goes upstairs with his cup of coffee and sits in his special chair. He rubs a little essential oil on his wrists, and inhales it deeply. He puts on his headphones and listens to the gentle sounds of a rainforest, interspersed...
Oct 19, 2015 | Bereavement, From the Heart, Health, Moms & Dads
By Guest Blogger Tracy Mohr Mrs. T’s note to my Aunt Barbara arrived in our mailbox this summer, addressed in shaky handwriting on a bright teal envelope. I anticipated the “I’ve missed you” on the front of the card, but wasn’t expecting the note inside. It hit hard....
Oct 14, 2015 | Humor, Moms & Dads, Parenting & Family, Raising Children
By Kelly Hines I have a confession to make: My children are average. What’s worse, my husband and I are both average too. Even my dog is average. All together, we’re an amalgamation of mediocrity. I’m okay with that now, mostly, but I wasn’t always. Before I was even...
Jun 12, 2015 | Family Time, Parenting & Family, Raising Children
By Guest Blogger Dara Kurtz, author of the blog Crazy Perfect Life It’s that time of year. School’s out, summer’s in, and if you’re wondering what you’re going to do with your kids for the next three months, you’ve come to the right...
Nov 1, 2014 | Adult Health & Wellness, Health, Holidays, Just for Dads, Just for Moms, Moms & Dads, Parenting & Family
By Guest Blogger Joan Parisi Wilcox It’s almost a given that as you think of the approaching holidays, you feel a burst of stress. The “to-do” list grows exponentially, the guest list seems to expand by a force all its own, and the sound of the clock ticking is...
Oct 9, 2014 | Adult Health & Wellness, From the Heart, Health, Just for Moms, Parenting & Family, Pregnancy & Babies
By Guest Blogger Susan Hannan They say that nothing can prepare you for being a mother. I don’t know who “they” are, but in my case, “they” could not be more right. Upon learning we were about to start a family of our own, my husband and I were beyond ecstatic. So,...
Apr 23, 2014 | -, From the Heart, Moms & Dads, Parenting & Family, Pregnancy & Babies
By Elizabeth Stack Easter always makes me feel like anything is possible. That miracles and new beginnings are just around the corner, waiting to be experienced. This Easter was no different. And neither was my first Easter as a mother. Ten years ago on Easter Sunday,...
Nov 4, 2013 | -, Birthday Parties, Local Resources, Non Profits, Parenting & Family, Pregnancy & Babies
By Carrie Scott “Thank you so much! You don’t know how much this helps!” This outpouring of gratitude came from an appreciative mother who needed a simple, everyday item for her baby: diapers. Heather and Jeff have had a difficult year – they lost their house in a...
Feb 27, 2013 | -, Local Events, Local Resources, Non Profits, Pop Culture, Books & Movies, Recreation
Sponsored by New Garden Friends School Every parent wants to raise self-reliant, confident and happy children. Yet in today’s fast-paced world focused on achievement, we sometimes feel “powerless over overindulgence, overprotection, overscheduling and expectations of...
Nov 30, 2012 | -, Gift Ideas & Gift Shoppes, Shopping
By Brooke Coley This post contains affiliate links. It doesn’t cost any extra for you to purchase from them, but we may receive a small percentage of the sale. The festive season is here, and what better way to spread joy than by showing appreciation to the gracious...
Nov 20, 2012 | -, Crafts & Hobbies, Gift Ideas & Gift Shoppes, Recreation, Shopping
By Brooke Coley This post contains affiliate links. It doesn’t cost any extra for you to purchase from them, but we may receive a small percentage of the sale. What better person to have written this gift guide list than a teacher herself? The holiday season is upon...
Oct 20, 2012 | Adult Health & Wellness, Children's Health & Wellness, Health, Parenting & Family, Raising Children
By Guest Blogger Andrea Morgan When my oldest son was about five years old, he started having dry hands when winter would start. I really didn’t think too much about it and cream seemed to help it feel better by the next morning. That seemed to be the pattern...
Oct 31, 2011 | -, Parenting & Family, Raising Children, Tweens & Teens
By Kristen Daukas, author of www.fourhensandarooster.com I had to get a Halloween reference in the title somehow because believe me, this journey into the Tweens and Teens is a little frightening to say the least. If you’re like me, with every passing milestone you...
