Banning Chocolate Milk Doesn’t Improve Nutrition

Parents who had children in several schools in Oregon noticed what they viewed as a problem. The kids were much more likely to drink chocolate milk than they were to drink white milk. The parents believed that banning the chocolate milk would force the kids to start drinking more white milk. Instead, things did not work out as planned. It is safe to say that the parents in the school district’s PTA meant well. They were hoping to make changes that would provide better nutrition for the students. They believed that removing the chocolate milk, and only offering white milk, … Continue reading

Exercise and Diet Together Help Weight Loss

Thinking about losing some weight? You’ve probably found tons of advice that suggests how to do that. Some of it might contradict the other pieces of advice. Those of you who are confused about what the best plan for weight loss is may want to consider what a recent study found. It turns out you need to focus on both exercise and diet together. A Stanford study about weight gain and obesity was making the rounds on the internet recently. The lead author of the study was Dr. Uri Ladabaum, a Stanford gastroenterologist. In short, he describes the results as … Continue reading

Swapdom Lets you Swap Kids Clothes with other Parents

Are you looking for used baby items? The traditional way to find them is to ask your friends and neighbors if they are willing to give you the baby items that their children have grown out of. This method is generally “hit or miss” and requires a bit of networking skills. Swapdom.com offers a more efficient method for finding free baby items. There are many different methods that a parent can use if he or she is looking for free baby clothing (and other baby items). You could let your family members, friends, and co-workers know that you are in … Continue reading

Keeping Kids Busy Indoors

It has been breathtakingly cold outside this year. This year we have hit record low temperatures here in Utah, in fact, we had our first experience with freezing rain this week. These below freezing temperatures have got the kids cooped up inside all day, every day, and if they’re anything like mine, they’re starting to get a bad case of cabin fever! But don’t worry, we’re here to save the day, because we have lots of ideas to keep kids happy indoors and out! Something Logan and I have decided to do this year is to make a list of … Continue reading

Inexpensive Indoor Fun

The weather outside is frightful. And by frightful I mean 15 degrees below zero without the windchill.  Schools in our area closed yesterday because it was simply too dangerous to have kids wait outside for the bus. Old Man Winter’s brutal cold slap is being felt across the nation.  The bone-chilling temperatures have most families cuddling up together as they wait for the spring thaw to arrive.  Of course, all that togetherness can be a bit too much for kids and adults to handle, especially if the weather pattern persists for multiple days. If you are looking to keep your blood pressure … Continue reading

The Worst Genealogy Blog of the Year

Many genealogists take time out of their research to work on their very own, personal, genealogy blog. While some of these blogs are entertaining, informative, and inspirational, others are a chore to try and read. Here are some tips to keep your blog from being deemed “the worst genealogy blog of the year”. Anyone can make a blog. There are several websites that will let you sign up and instantly start creating a blog about whatever topic you like for free. This is both good and bad. It allows every genealogist who desires to make a family history blog the … Continue reading

Do You Need Inspiration for a Family History Adventure?

If you are looking for a fun genealogy read online, check out the Ancestry.com blog. Mixed in amongst their other blog posts (which are also good), there are posts from a family of seven who are traveling the United States in search of family history information. The Great, Great, Great Grand Adventure began back in July, when the Brown family decided that they would spend some time together as a family, traveling the United States and learning about their family history. At the time that the monumental decision to make the trip was made, the Browns did not know that … Continue reading

5 Free Family Activities You Can Do Today

Forget buying the latest video game or springing for a couple of hours at one of those indoor kids activity places. Instead, try one of the following free family activities that you can do today. Zero cost but lots of fun. 1. Go for a Hike…Literally Being outdoors in nature instantly calms you and raises your spirits. Studies have proven it over and over again. Plus kids really do thrive on fresh air and exercise. A hike, or even just a walk in the park, can be an activity that the whole family can enjoy. Plus, it is free. Bonus … Continue reading

Keep Pets Safe from Outdoor Seasonal Dangers

Oh, the weather outside is frightful! People who have one or more pets that primarily live outdoors need to take extra precautions to keep them safe as the weather gets cold and miserable. VPI has created a helpful list of 10 seasonal dangers to outdoor pets. When you go out into the snowy, Winter, weather, you probably bundle up. Most of us wear warm coats, gloves, hats, and scarves if we are expecting to be outside for more than a minute or two. Your pets can’t do that. This could lead to a very serious, and tragic, situation. You might … Continue reading

Inexpensive Ways to Countdown to Christmas

My 8-year-old adores her Snoopy countdown to Christmas calendar… and her wooden Advent calendar… and her chocolate-filled Advent calendar… and well, you get the idea.  My kid is obsessed with counting down to December 25th. While I enjoy seeing her excitement as she tears open the doors to her various candy-filled chronicles, Advent calendars don’t come cheap.  Neither do secular versions featuring syndicated cartoon characters. Fortunately, there are ways you can celebrate the coming of Christmas without going broke.  For example: Paper Chains:  Kids can craft a countdown to Christmas chain to help them visualize how many days until Santa’s … Continue reading