Anniversaries and Date Nights Part II

My husband and I are really horrible at taking the time to spend time together as a couple. The predominant rationalization that we make is that the cost involved with going on dates is too prohibitive. Getting a sitter, going to a moving, or going to a restaurant seem to be very cost prohibitive for our budget. It is especially hard for me to justifying eating out when we can make much higher quality and healthier foods (that in my opinion tastes much better) for a fraction of the cost than we can get at any of our local dining … Continue reading

Creating a Nursery that Will Grow with Your Baby

When I compare a photo of my son’s room before he was born with what I see before my eyes today, I am surprised at how much it has changed. There are several things we had to change as he got older. We did not anticipate how much storage we would need once we started accumulating toys and clothes, nor did we anticipate his ability to get into the storage we did have and make a huge mess. Next time we build a nursery, we’ll be able to take what we learned from adapting our son’s room and apply it … Continue reading

12 Creative Date Night Ideas That Won’t Break the Budget

Is your marriage feeling stale? It’s easy to get so caught up with the everyday that we forget to make time for each other and to make each other feel special. To bring the romance back, here are some suggestions for date nights that won’t break the budget. 1. Turn off the lights and light candles. Turn off the TV and put on some romantic music. Curl up on the sofa with perhaps a glass of wine and listen to music. 2. Pack a picnic dinner and head for a favorite beach. Watch the moon rise over the water. After … Continue reading

Creating a Date Night

I regret the demise of wine and dine – those intimate little candle-lit restaurants that used to be around when Mick and I were young. You could have a meal,enjoy listening to someone sing romantic songs and play the piano, or get up and dance. I’m talking, the old time dances where partners actually held each other in their arms. Never having much money we only went to such places for an anniversary, birthday or special evening out. These days the win and dine seems to have disappeared. So the other night we created our own. We went out to … Continue reading

How to Date Your Spouse – Lindsey K. Rietzsch

Are you looking to put a little zing back into your relationship? Remember how exciting things used to be before you were married, when you’d get all dressed up, put your best foot forward, and go out for a romantic night on the town? What happened to that sparkle—did it just disappear once you got married? No, it didn’t. But you stopped dating, didn’t you? “How to Date Your Spouse” by author Lindsey K. Rietzsch is a fun and lighthearted book that reminds us how important it is to keep creating special moments together. Now that the goal of marriage … Continue reading

Pop Culture Updates: The Grammys Go On WITH Writers and Britney Speaks to Her Kids

In a previous blog I mentioned that the striking writers guild agreed that its members would not picket next month’s Grammy Awards. Now, there’s even more good news for the awards show that honors the country’s top musicians. Yesterday Writers Guild of America directors decided to grant an interim agreement for the February 10th ceremony. This means the Grammys will escape the blow that befell this month’s Golden Globe Awards. It also means that the stars will be out in full force and fans will be treated to a complete red carpet fashion show as celebs make their way into … Continue reading

Father’s Day, Date Nights & Other Fun Events

What a great weekend we had here at home. My apologies for not writing a focused on Father’s Day article today as I intended. But starting late yesterday, my husband and I both shut down our computers and headed off to spend the next 24 hours focused on the family as a part of Father’s Day. Sometimes you need to make a conscious decision to shut off the responsibilities and the rest of the world and just be together as a family. Date Night Our daughter’s gymnastics school hosts a parent’s night out once a month. It’s a four-hour event … Continue reading

Ask a Food Blogger: How Do You Create a Menu Plan?

I’m excited to answer my first food blogger question: I know I would eat healthier and we’d eat more meals at home if I had a weekly menu plan. But how do you go about creating one? You are correct on both counts: menu plans will help you eat healthier, stick to certain goals, and it will decrease the likelihood that you have to get take out for lack of preparation. One thing that can help with menu preparation is recipe software. Most recipe software has grocery list features as well as menu planning features. I have written before about … Continue reading

2006 in Review: Homeschooling Blog at a Glance

As a new homeschooling blogger at Families.com, I wanted to know everything that has been discussed to date. In response to my own curiosity, and in an effort to make perusing our articles easier for you, our readers, I have compiled all of the blogs for the year 2006. Deciding to Homeschool Why homeschool Am I qualified for this? Reasons that Homeschooling Works! My Most Important Advice for Homeschoolers. The Cost of Homeschooling Instead of standing up for their own kids, why not stand up for all kids? Disclaimer: I am hardly an expert in education. Did You Know? ‘Empirical … Continue reading

NFL’s Biggest Blunder?

Now that Osama Bin Laden is dead, who is the most hated man in America? Another terrorist leader? A presidential candidate? The guy that made that terrible film that is creating such tension? Not even close. The most hated man in America is actually two men – two National League Football refs. That’s right. I went to sleep last night and left my husband downstairs watching the Green Bay Packers and the Seattle Seahawks playing football. I am not really into football, but I couldn’t help but notice something odd had happened in last night’s game when I logged into … Continue reading