Tips and ideas for a hot autumn vacation With summer again fading into fall, all around you people are prepping for the back-to-school season and even gearing up for the coming winter holidays. But who says you have to give up all the fun of summer just yet? Fall is a great time to indulge in a getaway, especially if you're heading to a locale that was crowded ...
Make time for family dinner: It's good for your body and soul Family meals aren't just good for your body; they're good for the soul. Today's over-scheduled lives may make it more difficult to get a meal on the table for family dinners, but there are many shortcuts you can take to reduce the stress and enjoy your time together.
Growing families looking for larger homes More and more households have extended family living together under one roof, and the tight fit has some families in the market for a larger home. For the "Sandwich Generation," a generation of people who are caring for their aging parents while supporting their own children, there are advantages to having children and grandparents under one roof such as sharing of household responsibilities and finances and increased focus on family time together. With these advantages, however, there may be...
High design with kids in mind For many years, creating family-friendly spaces meant sacrificing your design aesthetic. Thankfully, gone are the days when having children meant succumbing to a house full of bright-yellow bins and sofas wrapped in plastic. Today, new materials and technologies make it is easy to create a beautiful, well-designed home t...
Four things you might not know about fall allergies As most allergy sufferers will tell you, allergy symptoms can always be bothersome, turning any time of year into sneezing season. A runny nose, itchy eyes and scratchy throat can arise as the days get shorter and the leaves begin to change. The fall can be especially difficult for people who are sensitive to mold and ra...
The expanding capabilities of broadband Internet in rural areas Broadband Internet makes possible a number of activities that would be frustrating with a dial-up or a slow-speed connection. If you're unfamiliar with the capabilities of broadband Internet, here are a few activities that are made possible with a high-speed connection.
Disability insurance: protecting your future There is a common misperception that most disabilities are caused by accidents. In reality, the majority of disabilities are caused by illness. You might think it won't happen to you. And perhaps it won't. But in 2009, more than 15 million Americans experienced a disability that prevented them from working.
The keys to successful potty training: consistency and positivity As children continue to grow there are many new and exciting milestones they reach along the way. Just as every child is different, you will find the paths to milestone success will vary from child to child. One of the first major milestones a child hits is potty training. As this can be a frustrating process at times, h...
Eight reasons to review your life insurance Life insurance might not be as common as you think. Did you know that 30 percent of American households have no form of life insurance whatsoever, leaving millions to struggle to cover day-to-day expenses if a main breadwinner were to pass away? Even if you already have life insurance, financial and insurance professiona...
How baking serves up a batch of skills for children, tweens and teens When you think of baking, your mind probably goes right to warm cookies, fruit-filled cobblers or pies and savory bread. While those are all the happy results of spending some time in the kitchen, when children, tweens and teens get involved in baking, they'll come away from the experience with a lot more than just happy...
Smart solutions for busy parents Many parents are busy these days juggling everything from work, car pools, soccer practice, and cooking dinner. But a hectic schedule doesn't have to mean poor food choices. Here are a few time-saving tricks to make mealtime easier and nutritious for the whole family.
For today's teens, the time to plan for college expenses is now When it comes to planning for college, most parents are sure of just two things: They want their child to get a college degree, and they'll need a smart savings plan in place to ensure college expenses are covered.
