Natural Flea and Tick Remedies
I have already picked a tick of my dog this year and considering the fact that she only goes outside to do her business and then comes right back in, to me that means that the ticks are going to be brutal this summer. Whatever the reason, our pets need protection from these blood suckers. Since we lead a pretty toxic free life and because my dog is all of 8 pounds, I am reluctant to use over the market flea and tick products such as Frontline, K9 or Revolution. So here are some options that are safe for pets and family, instead: Spray the yard with PCO Choice. This is a non-toxic spray (a bit expensive) but it lasts […]
Are You Doing This Parenting Thing Right?
Are You Doing This Parenting Thing Right? (What we can learn from studies of successful children and their parents) by Guest Blogger Lisa Natcharian, M.Ed., Parenting Coach at Raising Wizards Just as there are all kinds of children with all kinds of personalities, strengths and challenges, there are all kinds of ways to parent. What works for one family may not work for another, so comparing ourselves to the family down the street isn’t particularly productive. However, recent studies show that there are definite common themes among the parents who have raised successful and happy children. We all have our moments of doubt when we wonder if we’re doing this parenting thing right. When yours strikes, take a quick look at […]
The White Envelope
This is beautiful! ***tissue alert*** Christmas Story: For the Man Who Hated Christmas By Nancy W. Gavin It’s just a small, white envelope stuck among the branches of our Christmas tree. No name, no identification, no inscription. It has peeked through the branches of our tree for the past ten years. It all began because my husband Mike hated Christmas. Oh, not the true meaning of Christmas, but the commercial aspects of it – overspending and the frantic running around at the last minute to get a tie for Uncle Harry and the dusting powder for Grandma – the gifts given in desperation because you couldn’t think of anything else. Knowing he felt this way, I decided one year to […]
Ahhh...Mother's Day (Weekend)
Besides my birthday, my second favorite day of the year is Mother’s Day or what I like to refer to as Mother’s Day Weekend. Yep, I manage to squeeze a weekend out of this and don’t feel guilty about it one little bit.
UN-CRACKED HARD BOILED EGGS!
If you’re at all like me, boiling Easter eggs to make them hard boiled, is a bit of a nightmare! Inevitably, I crack several of them. So I found this trick last year and it worked like a charm and it’s easy and I’m all about EASY! Place eggs in a pot big enough to hold them in a single layer. Cover the eggs with cold water and bring them to a rolling boil. Cook for one minute, then remove them from the heat. When the water has cooled off, about 20 minutes or so, the eggs will be hard boiled. If this isn’t when your eggs get cracked and you find that the kids are the ones cracking them […]
Organizing Bins
As much as I love to organize, I am equally budget conscientious. You do NOT have to invest in pricey containers to organize your stuff! I reuse containers all the time! Here are some of my favorite ideas! Washed out kitty litter containers are great to sort my sons’ toys. They have lids and stack well too! I use fruit cups for crackers, nuts and other little snacks for my kids. {They are especially great in the summer when you go out and about! Just grab and go and who cares if they don’t come back home} Food containers like the ones from store bought cakes are for lids and tea: I use old biscotti containers to hold my flour […]
Battle of the Bells
My youngest son and I had this silent battle going on before Christmas. I hung our sleigh bells on the doorknob on the back of the door and he moved them to the front. I didn’t like them on the front because they swung in the way when I closed the door. But whenever I moved them back, it wouldn’t take long for the little stinker to move them to the front again. I told him a couple times to leave them alone. So finally after 4 or 5 times of this little “game”, I got so annoyed and raised my voice… “Stop moving the bells to the front of the door will ya!” He replied, “I like them on […]
Do You Need a "Sister Joist?"
I just love this video and had to share it…to all my “sisters” Thanks Momastery! xo, ~Melissa ***The opinions expressed in this blog are my own and that of the guest bloggers. They do not reflect the opinion of the advertisers on this site.
Organizing Winter Accessories
Here’s a simple way to organize hats and mitts. My family of 5 has many pieces of winter gear. I bought one of these over the door organizers from Target. They had some beauuuutiful fabric ones but I wanted to see what was in each pocket so went with the vinyl. You could label each pocket with mini binder clips or clothespins. Assign one row per family member, with the youngest being on the bottom. Thought I’d share this lovely idea because it is so much better than digging through a bin! Stay warm, ~Mary ***The opinions expressed in this blog are my own and that of the guest bloggers. They do not reflect the opinion of the advertisers on […]
Why I Don't Care That My Teenage Daughter is Obsessed with Taylor Swift
My 14 year old daughter has a dream, okay, okay, it’s more of an obsession. She wants desperately to meet Taylor Swift. Now I am fully aware that there are thousands and probably even millions of young girls and teenagers that have that same dream but, who am I to squash it? We have every album, we know every lyric, we have covered every wall in her teeny bedroom in posters, we have been to both her homes in New York City and Rhode Island and she has seen 3 concerts! You might have noticed that I wrote “we” and that is in fact, accurate, I will admit, that I like Taylor Swift too! You see, while I believe my […]
