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20 questions to ask your kids

by Tracy Chappell

"A friend of mine told me about this ritual she started with her daughter on her third birthday and, of course, I fell in love with it. (Yes, she got it from Pinterest.) It’s a list of 20 questions to ask your child each year on her birthday, with the idea that you’d create a book of them, giving you a snapshot of your child at that moment in time"

Read her list here
http://www.todaysparent.com/blogs/tracys-mama-memoirs/20-questions-to-ask-your-kids

Why Do People Stay in Abusive Relationships?

People who have never been abused often wonder why a person wouldn’t just leave. They don't understand that breaking up can be more complicated than it seems.

There are many reasons why both men and women stay in abusive relationships. If you have a friend in an unhealthy relationship, support them by understanding why they may choose to not leave immediately.

Read post here
http://www.loveisrespect.org/is-this-abuse/why-do-people-stay-in-abusive-relationships

Know Your Stuff: The 110 Best DIY Tips Ever

Posted by the Editors

For Popular Mechanics' 110th anniversary, we decided to do something special: We dived into our archives to find the 110 best, handiest, and most helpful tips ever printed in PM. It's more than a century of DIY wisdom. You can read the introduction to the project here.

View the complete list here
http://www.popularmechanics.com/home/skills/know-your-stuff-the-110-best-diy-tips-ever

8 Things Not to Keep in Your Wallet

by By Emily Inverso | Kiplinger – Mon, Jul 9, 2012 1:00 PM EDT

With just your name and Social Security number, identity thieves can open new credit accounts and make costly purchases in your name. If they can get their hands on (and doctor) a government-issued photo ID, they can do even more damage, such as opening new bank accounts. These days, con artists are even profiting from tax-return fraud and health-care fraud, all with stolen IDs.

Read this informative article here
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/8-things-not-to-keep-in-your-wallet.html

How Secure Are You Online: The Checklist

by Thorin Klosowski

"...For the purpose of this post, we're breaking down online security into four essential parts: passwords, browsers, at-home Wi-Fi and networking, and browsing on public Wi-Fi. Within those categories we'll give you a checklist of everything you should do, from the bare minimum to the tin-foil-hat best."

Read checklist here
http://lifehacker.com/5938980/how-secure-are-you-online-the-checklist

11 Free Toys Every Child Should Enjoy

by Andrea Mulder-Slater

Who says kids need store-bought toys to have fun? Here are 11 ways for kids to have a blast with everyday items.

View slide show and ideas here
http://www.todaysparent.com/free-toys

Help Kids Cope with Tragedy

by Dr. Charles Fay

What to Say to Help Them Feel Safe and Secure

At a difficult time like this in our nation's history, parents all over this country-and the world-are wondering, "What do I tell my kids about this? What do I do?"

Children have an incredible capacity for strength, and parents can play a powerful role in helping their children cope with horribly difficult events. Here are some practical guidelines...

Read his article here
http://www.loveandlogic.com/pages/tragedy.html

Reduce Homework Hassles with these Simple Tips

by Dr. Robert Myers, Child Psychologist

Homework can be difficult for most kids during the school year, but it can become a major challenge when you have a child with ADHD. But here’s some good news for exhausted parents: if you take the right steps now, at the beginning of the school year, homework hassles can be kept to a minimum.

Read article here
http://www.empoweringparents.com/reduce-homework-hassles-with-simple-tips.php

Great Storm & Recovery Coloring Bk & Parent Guide

I found this while looking up resources for myself and all those in my area affected by the Hurricane and thought I would share it with all of you! It is a free PDF download, enjoy :)

Download copy here
http://www.mentorresearch.org/Documents/StormFloodColoringBookParentGuide.pdf

Putting a 13-Year-Old Child Safely on Facebook

By Nick Bilton

An e-mail in my inbox Monday morning from my editor had a scary subject line: “Help!” When I opened the message, I read this:“My daughter is 13-years-old today and so, as promised, I let her sign up for Facebook. YIKES. Now I am freaking out over her privacy settings!”

Even for an adult, Facebook’s privacy settings are as daunting as trying to do your taxes with an abacus. For teenagers, unaware of the consequences of their online actions, using Facebook incorrectly could potentially leave a digital trail that might follow them all the way through high school, college and into the real world.

Read this great article and tips here
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/11/27/putting-a-13-year-old-child-safely-on-facebook

Poison Prevention

Children Act Fast – So Do Poisons

Did you know that each year, more than 1.2 million children ages 5 and under are unintentionally poisoned? Whether it's medication on your dresser, cleaning supplies under your kitchen sink, cosmetics in your bathroom or carbon monoxide from gas appliances in your home, you can take simple steps to keep your kids safe.

Read information and find out more resources here
http://www.safekids.org/safety-basics/safety-spotlight/poison-prevention-week

Hurricane Sandy

UPDATE: 11/27 - we still are working through some issues with getting our house inspected and our red tag (not safe) lifted but are so happy and grateful we at least have a home. Although it is a rough rode, fraught with a great deal of not knowing and stress, we are happy that we made it through the storm and are alive and well. Thank you again for everyone who has been sending good wishes and their prayers and thoughts, we greatly appreciate them!

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I would just like to send out warm wishes and greetings to all of my visitors and followers here! Around 10/9 I had some computer issues which prevented me from posting here and that was followed up with Hurricane Sandy. We began to prepare for her possible downfall upon us here in NJ that Friday 10/26, with so much to be done outside, stocking up, etc.

My son and myself rode out the night before over in our home (hard hit in Keansburg), but was forced to leave that Monday afternoon by the State EMO who told us we had to leave now, so we did with the clothes on our backs and our 3 cats. It was the most horrowing experience I have had in my life thus far! As we rode through the winds, the debris flying at his car, cats crying, I began to just sink inside with this horrible feeling I might not be coming home.

We hunkered down with my parents and family down the rode (who were also under a mandatory evac order), praying we would all make it through. The power went out a few hours there after and all we were left with was darkness, candles and my mom's scanner to keep us abreast of what was happening with the Storm. It was not until almost 2 days later that we were able to contact anyone, which was very discerning and quite anxious of a feeling. My sister in Colorado kept us informed of everything including the surrounding devastation right down our road we knew nothing about.

7 days later, tired, worn out and extremely relieved (hungry too), we began to venture out to see what the world had unfolded while we sat helpless in our home. The destruction to the surrounding little Bayshore towns I have called my home for 1/2 my life is just not measurable. Right smack in between this horror called the aftermath of Sandy sits my parents little town, basically unscathed from her wrath, a sure blessing from GOD! A few minutes in any direction looks like a scene from a horror or war movie, it is just not real. My town, near the boardwalk is virtually destroyed, with our little boardwalk a mangled mess, homes ripped out, gone, others waiting for approval to be lived in again.

I never thought in my wildest dreams that something like this could happen to us? We have ridden out many storms while living down here and nothing could prepare us for what we would endure for the next 10 days and beyond. I am so grateful that I have a home to go to, loss of some food, power and a rug; a home to go to, gosh what lovely sounds of joy to my ears! It will take me a week or so to get back into the swing of things and begin posting here and on all my blogs, so I ask your patience and understanding :) Thank you for supporting me and the Heart of Parenting, Patricia from NJ

The Wonders of Reality Discipline

This clever discipline method is less exhausting and more successful than ranting, raving, blaming, pleading, begging or threatening.

by Shana Schutte

"While child psychologist Dr. Kevin Leman is an out-of-the-box parenting problem solver who might buy into the lipstick method if it worked, Dr. Leman instead teaches parents about the effective "Reality Discipline." This clever method of getting little "ankle biters" to obey is less exhausting and more successful than ranting, raving, blaming, pleading, begging or threatening. "

Read article here
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/parenting/effective_biblical_discipline/why_kids_misbehave/the_wonders_of_reality_discipline.aspx

7 Ways to Find Affordable Health Care

by Shauna

Health care, like many commodities nowadays, is becoming more costly than ever. Prescription medications, surgery, inpatient care—the prices of all of these things are skyrocketing. With such high prices, how do you manage to find health care that you can easily afford and still have enough money left over to pay for the other things that you need and want? This article will show you seven ways in which you can do so.

Read article here
http://adventuresof8.com/2012/09/7-ways-to-find-affordable-health-care-guest-post