According to the National Retail Federation, parents are a bunch of wasters. The group maintains that the average American family wastes nearly 15% of its purchases, from food to household supplies, gifts to apparel. Guilty as charged. I just trashed a half-empty container of hummus because it expired before my family could finish it. I despise wasting food, and would have downed the remaining chickpea spread myself had it not smelled like sweaty feet. I’ve eaten expired food items in the past, but didn’t want to chance it with the hummus, since the container was compromised. Apparently, it had slid … Continue reading →

As I grow older I realize that I am not invincible, like I was thought I was. I am realizing that I cannot do the things that I used to do and it scares me. It is not that I am afraid to leave this world, I am afraid for those that I leave behind. Just the other day I was talking to someone. He said that he was driving along the road and realized that he used to think of future plans and things that he would like to do in life. Now he finds himself preparing for the … Continue reading →

When my daughter was a newborn she loved to splash around in her baby bathtub. As she grew into a toddler, her love for bath time also flourished. When she advanced to a preschooler, you could barely drag the kid out of her watery playground complete with funny foam and special crayons that allowed her inner graffiti artist to shine. Then, she started first grade and bath time became a battle every.single. night. First grade was my daughter’s first year of full-day school and bath time meant the end of precious playtime and the beginning of the dreaded bedtime routine … Continue reading →

What does the slumping economy have to do with the color of your baby’s behind? According to a new report by the Business Insider, one begets the other. The economic geniuses at the business publication have been making headlines with their hypothesis on the correlation between a near record number of recent diaper rash cases and the recession. If you have a child in diapers, then you may already be familiar with the red butt/recession theory. Apparently, there are millions of parents out there who are trying to save a few extra bucks by letting their children linger in wet … Continue reading →

Her taste in music may drive me to the edge and I’m not too fond of her selective hearing, but good gracious, am I grateful that my daughter is not a fan of American Girl dolls. Don’t get me wrong; I think the company does an amazing job incorporating historical context into the dolls’ design. However, they also do an equally phenomenal job of sucking you dry in order to fund your kid’s doll fix. American Girl dolls are not cheap. And by not cheap, I mean bucks big enough that it forces you to decide whether to pay the … Continue reading →

Gray is the new blue; skorts rule; and accessories are the new underwear–a definite must-have. This according to the back-to-school fashion police. Thank goodness my kid wears uniforms to school. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, then you probably know that millions of students from coast-to-coast are getting ready to head back to class. In fact, in many states the kiddos are already hitting the books. Still, if you are an avid or even occasional TV viewer then you might think that school has nothing to do with books and oh, I don’t know, learning tangible skills, and is … Continue reading →

Think your child’s last birthday party went horribly awry? Well, you may have a tough time convincing a New Mexico mom that your kid’s bash was worse than the horror she experienced while celebrating her 4-year-old’s big day. No, her kid didn’t lose an eye during a spirited game of darts. And he didn’t get whacked unconscious by a flying pinata either. Rather, Andrea Anderson claims her son Corbin has been scarred for life because Chuck E. Cheese made an offensive gesture while posing for a photo with the birthday boy. That’s right, Corbin’s mom is peeved because she believes … Continue reading →

Tis the season for purging junk from your home and having strangers pay you to get it off your property. See it, hear it, love it or hate it; the rummage sale season is in full swing. In our city, you can’t go a single block without being blinded by dozens of neon-colored signs fighting for space on the corners of busy intersections. Suburbia is littered with trash, treasures, and teamwork. Yes, teamwork. For many families, hosting a rummage sale requires a combined effort by all of its members regardless of age. At least that’s what my neighbors tell me. … Continue reading →

One of the joys of being pregnant is choosing a name for your child… or is it? A new poll reveals that selecting baby names often leads to discontent and resentment among parents. I suppose nothing says I despise you more than having your partner insist on naming your unborn child Sam when you have your heart set on Teegan. Starting World War III over a baby name seems a bit counterproductive to me, but then again, we chose our daughter’s name in less than hour, so I wouldn’t know what it’s like to battle over Caden, Carter or Connor. … Continue reading →

Leave it to Americans to find yet another way to immortalize pregnant teens. Just when you thought paying 16 year olds cold, hard cash to allow TV cameras to follow their every move as new parents was something to cringe about, now the government reveals that the young reality TV stars have some of the hottest names in the country. According to the Social Security Administration, the stars from MTV’s mega-popular show “Teen Mom,” are among the hottest trending names in the United States. Scary! I wish I were joking, but facts are facts. The Social Security Administration just released … Continue reading →