Every few years my wife and I spend Valentine’s Day at home. We forego the fancy restaurant and we make a home-cooked dinner that is just as good and half as expensive. A night out is good for a couple, especially a couple with kids. Getting all dressed up and being waited on makes you…
Bad days are a part of life The Carpenters sang about “Rainy Days on Mondays” getting them down. James Blunt more recently had a big hit with “You’ve Had a Bad Day”. These songs, countless poems and a variety of Blues music tell us that bad days are a part of life. It is never…
An organized pantry has MANY benefits: 1) Less wasted food: Items won’t get lost in the back so you can use them before they expire. 2) Easier to create a shopping list: Identify what you have and what you need quickly – keep the grocery list in the pantry so everyone in the family can…
Cooking utensils are in every kitchen. From a spatula to a pineapple slicer, utensils come in many shapes and sizes. Whether you must have the latest gadget or you go for the vintage wooden spoon handed down from your grandmother, organizing your small kitchen tools will save you time and frustration when you are whipping…
Want to get organized but not sure where or how to start? Start small and get big rewards by organizing your Junk Drawer! We all have it – that drawer that holds all the odds and ends we use. Mine is in the kitchen. It holds things like loose change, buttons, take out menus, batteries,…
From elementary school science projects to college applications, kids look to their parents for guidance. But at what point is our help no longer helpful? The boundary isn’t always clear and a parent’s good intentions to provide assistance can backfire when kids don’t learn to take ownership of their own work. Determining just how involved…
Navigating the waters of childhood friendships can be surprisingly difficult for parents. How do help your kids learn how to make friends? What if your child has a friend you don’t like? Should you intervene when a friend mistreats your child or let him resolve the situation on his own? Preschool and early elementary years…
Greater Dayton is home to a wide variety of school alternatives. While parents are fortunate to have so many choices available, the sheer number of options can leave one wondering where to start. Here we explain some of the key differences among the various types of schooling available in our area. Public and charter schools…
anuary is National Get Organized Month! Organizing is a constant process, but it doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By tackling one area each week you can get your whole house organized in 2015! Our 52 Weeks of Organizing Challenge will help you to do just that! Each week we will discuss one area to organize…
Student engagement is the spark that lights a flame of interest, which can ignite a fire that grows into a passion. In order to engage a curious student, an educational program must attract children on a real level – stimulating their interests and helping them grow into lifelong learners, not just yearlong students. Our local…
