Ah, some me time! I'm not hanging out in my garden, sprucing up, checking out what's growing and planting more seeds which seems to have become my norm. I'm not taking a trip to the mall, which used to be my norm. Nope! I was cleaning up my house. Can you believe cleaning has become "me time"? I'm lovin' it!



My husband took the kids to a graduation…

This post was featured on Sweet 2 Eat Baking

Banana Bread

This Banana Bread Loaf is delicious and moist with lots of flavour. Perfect sliced with tea or coffee. Banana bread is wonderful toasted too. Best with overripe bananas.

It was my birthday on Friday. I turned 21 again, but with 11…

Dark magic…dark passions….

When Rowena is abducted from Arizona and taken back to medieval Land’s End, one thing is clear: she must learn to control her powers of magic. It isn’t easy being a modern girl in an archaic land, and when Rowena accidently conjures up a Roman Legion in mid-battle, Land’s End is on the brink of a…

My initiation into the mom scene was a bit different than most.  It wasn’t until after I had spent a few years helping to raise my step-kids that my son was born.  I wasn’t going to be able to bond with these kids while changing diapers or teaching them their ABC’s or snuggling with them at bedtime.  This was…

If you don’t like using time out to discipline your toddler or young child, there are other forms of discipline that may work better for you and your family or you can use a combination of…

My son stayed home with me again today so that he could continue to heal and so that I could make sure that he was fever free before sending him back to daycare.  He acts like he is feeling much better today and his fever finally broke last night.  Thank goodness, I don’t like it when my baby doesn’t feel…

My 4 year old is still fighting his fever, my 6 year old is full of energy and I'm fighting a cough, sore throat and swollen glands. There were a few St Patty's Day events I wanted to check out today, but from the neck up, I don't feel well at all. Usually, I would type in my symptoms, but I don't event want to know what a Google search would say could be wrong with me (I'm staying away from WebMD). Damn it! Being sick really…

Today was a perfect day to spend some time outside with the kids.  This was a fun post for me to write today as I wanted to share a few photos of my family spending time together playing.  The weather here was in the 80's which is perfect for spending time outside without it being too hot for the kids to play.  To see photos of our fun time at the park please visit, my blog at…

Spending time with your children, especially, one on one time is important and makes them feel loved.  I have been trying to make sure that I spend time with my toddler because he is growing up way to fast.  I have a hard time getting down on the floor to play with him (due to my chronic back pain) so I have to be a bit more creative and find activities that work for me.  He loves to “draw”, which is his favorite thing to do these days.  So I scooped him up into my lap and grabbed the…

I have been reading quite frequently these days and wanted to share another great book with my followers.  I downloaded “Long Time Coming” by Edie Claire on e-book and I loved this book from the very start.  Joy decides to return to her hometown of Wharton when her father’s illness forces her to return.  She left the town of Wharton over 18 years ago, shortly after her best friend Jenny was killed in a horrific car accident just a few days after senior prom.  After graduation, Joy high…

A few weeks ago, my husband asked me if I needed anything from the store.  I asked him if he would pick up my youngest son a coloring book because he kept grabbing my pen from me when I wasn’t watching and kept telling me that he wanted to draw.  I took the pen away from him and he was devastated, even though…

Mealtimes are as different across the country as, well, families.  Each family approaches mealtime in a way that works for their particular situation.  Some choose a buffet style option where family members fill their plates at the stovetop or counter and then sit down at the table.  Others choose a family style option where serving bowls or plates are passed around the table, each family member taking a portion of his or her choosing.  And then there are other families, typically with…

Rosemary Lichtman, Ph.D. and Phyllis Goldberg, Ph.D.

As you settle into the new year, do you sometimes feel like time is getting away from you? I make list after list of what I want to accomplish each day – and often get a large chunk completed - but never seem to get everything done. Now that I make my lists on my PDA, it's easier to just change the date and roll the reminders over to the next day. Yet the sense of satisfaction that I feel when I do finish a…

     L's friend R had her 5th birthday today.  Both girls were invited to the party.   Before the party took SB  out to sell her girl scout cookies.  Sold 6 boxes in an hour.   Not too good of a sales day for a Saturday.   Last house we stopped at ended up being a girl scout leader.    We were informed in polite terms that we were trespassing on another's territory.   To my way of thinking if a girl hasn't gone out and sold in her territory halfway through the cookie sale then watch out.  …

** The lighting in fitting rooms is nothing short of cruel.

** My toes are sooooo ready for flip flops.

** A clean car is pretty awesome (even if only for five short minutes).

** I probably owe the car wash an apology note.

** The appetites of my children dramatically increase the moment school lets…

The “Back to Sleep” campaign was introduced in the early 1990′s to help prevent babies from SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).  When a baby is born their heads are still soft and their skull will slowly harden over the next few months.  However, laying your baby in the same position all the time places gentle pressure on the back of the skull, causing it to slowly change shape.  Read the full post at …

Prioritizing time as parents

By Becky Shattuck, guest blogging from “I’m going to make it (after all)” (http://becky-shattuck.blogspot.com/)

It’s been said before. Parenting is both the hardest and most rewarding job in the world. I’m a stay at home mom. I’m with my kids pretty much all day long, every day, so I can attest to that personally.

Little kids need a lot of attention. Actually, that…

Shakira Constantine is a beautiful, independent, successful London attorney. One night she meets handsome Alex Lancaster. There’s no denying that the sparks are mutual, even though she isn’t impressed by his riveting good looks and acting career.

Then fate plays a trick on her when he is unjustly sued for  sexual harassment and she ends up representing him. Of…