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The History of Mother’s Day in the United States

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Many families celebrate Mother’s Day every year. Have you ever wondered how Mother’s Day got started? Who thought of it? How did it get declared a holiday? Was it always celebrated the way we celebrate it today in the United States? The official Mother’s Day holiday, as we know it today, was started by Anna Jarvis. In 1905, her mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, died. Daughter Anna Jarvis wanted there to be a way to honor the sacrifices that mothers made for their children. It took financial backing before that dream was realized. John Wanamaker was a department store owner in … Continue reading →

Picture-Perfect Mother’s Day

What are you asking for this Mother’s Day? A clean basement? Not if your husband’s idea of “cleaning” is tossing out all of your stuff. An expensive vacuum? Not if you have to use it more to justify the price. Breakfast in bed? Not if it means doing damage control in the kitchen until dinner. What about a peaceful day surrounded by the people whose existence affords you membership in the sweetest sorority on earth? This Mother’s Day consider cuddling up with your kiddos and enjoying a quiet moment with these picture-perfect holiday reads: The Berenstain Bears: We Love Our … Continue reading →

Cheap Presidents’ Day Travel Destinations

Presidents’ Day is just a few hours away.  Where will you be spending the holiday? If you are lucky, you won’t be working on the Congress-concocted celebration marking the birth of Abraham Lincoln, George Washington and the other former leaders of the free world.  Consequently, you have the opportunity to explore the home base of our current president. Washington, D.C. is a frugal traveler’s dream destination.  Our nation’s capital is filled with free and cheap attractions that will keep family members of all ages entertained. Many of the area’s museums, monuments and other noteworthy attractions are run by the federal … Continue reading →

Have You Seen a “Hidden Mother”?

Is there a “Hidden Mother” lurking within the photos of your ancestors? Look closer! A “Hidden Mother” isn’t a supernatural event, or an alien from outer space. Instead, it is a clever way to safely take a great photo of a baby, long before Photoshop was invented. It is natural for parents to take lots and lots of photos of their newborn. It is a way to capture just how precious, and tiny, a child was before he grew into a “big boy”. Baby photos are one way that parents can hold on to a vivid memory of exactly what … Continue reading →

Picture Overload

This is one of nearly 150 images I snapped of my daughter during our summer trip to Six Flags Great America. Yes, 150 shots in a single day. It may seem like a ton of photos, but if you are an avid scrapbooker, it’s not unusual to snap hundreds of pictures during a special event. The upside to nearly continuous shooting is that you are almost guaranteed a plethora of phenomenal photos taken from a variety of different angles. The downside is that it’s often challenging to select just a few of your favorite picks. One of the easiest ways … Continue reading →

Lakeside Fun

There is nothing more picturesque than spending the day at a lake. In my hometown we happen to have a lake right in the middle of the city. The lake is less than a mile from the bustle of downtown and it provides a place of reprieve for all. The city has done a great job making this spot inviting. There is a biking/walking trail that goes around the lake which also extends through the whole city. There are sailboats, canoes, kayaks, paddle boats, and bicycles available for rent as well as food for sale. There are docks for fishing, … Continue reading →

Picture Problem

Does this photo look familiar? If you are like me, you likely have a few dozen Fourth of July-themed pictures to place in your summer scrapbook. Whereas I am pleased to have captured so many decent shots of fireworks, family members, friends and other holiday festivities, I am now faced with the challenge of whittling down just a few select images to feature on a single layout. For me, it’s one of the most daunting scrapbooking tasks. When it comes to picking just a handful of photos to include on a page, my indecisiveness rears its ugly head. I have … Continue reading →

Not-So Friendly Side of Facebook

By now you know that Facebook is considering allowing kids under 13 onto the site. Sure, there’s talk of mandatory parental supervision and speculation that the under 13 section will be ad free, but let’s get real here; this is Facebook were talking about. The social media phenomenon currently states that users must be 13 years or older; yet a recent Microsoft study published in AdAge estimates that more than 7.5 million underaged kids are already on Facebook, and a huge chunk of them got there with their parents’ help. Parents, who are virtually clueless about the ever-changing privacy setting … Continue reading →

Every Day is Mother’s Day

Don’t we wish? Mother’s Day 2012 has come and gone, but if you are like me, then you are just now working on phase 2 of the holiday—scrapbook layout design. After all, you can’t create a memorable album or layout without relevant photos. I just got back a slew of photos snapped last week during our Mother’s Day celebrations. A lot of them were taken at the hotel where we had brunch and the park we strolled through after our gorge-fest trying to burn off some of the calories we downed at the all-you-can-eat Mother’s Day buffet. I grouped the … Continue reading →

Stepmothers Are People Too

As a single mother one thing I’ve dreaded is when my ex husband would get remarried. Not because I carried if he was married or not but because of what it would mean to Hailey. I am Hailey’s mom, I want to make the rules, I want to be the one she confides in, I don’t want some stranger disciplining my child. For all single mothers, one day this become a reality. The evil stepmother enters the picture. Cue creepy music and it just gets worse from there. How do you deal with this and how do you help your … Continue reading →