Free Father's Day Gifts, Cheap/Free Activities to Do With Dad

Looking for low-cost Father's Day gifts? (Hint--it's the third Sunday in June, don't forget!) Why not do something with dad instead of buy him something? Here are 26 free Father's Day activities from A-Z. Don't limit it to just dad. Remember all special men this holiday--brothers, uncles, grandfathers, step-fathers, Godfathers, priests, rabbis, ministers, scout leaders, teachers, friends.  Free Father's Day Gifts, Do-With-Dad Activities from A-Z

Mother's Day Gifts for SAHM or WAHM Moms

Is Mother's Day gift-giving different for SAHM (stay at home moms) or WAHM (work at home moms) than for moms who go to job? I think it is a little. WAHMs long to get out more, while job  moms look forward to being home with the family. Not better worse--just different. Granted, Mother's Day gifts should be individual for every woman. But I was a SAHM and WAHM. I can speak to the unique needs that we have.  Here's a guide to get us just what we what and need for Mother's Day. Mother's Day Gifts for the SAHM Mom

Ways Kids Can Help with Holiday Preparations

Let's be honest, in holiday party preparation, children may be more of a hindrance than a help. Parents may find Christmas not so merry and Thanksgiving not so thankful, if they're juggling shopping, cooking, party planning, housecleaning and childcare. Here are easy ways kids can help with holiday party planning (and keep them out of your hair!) Making Kids Thanksgiving Helpers (not Hindrances!)

Mealtime cheats, shortcuts for crazy-busy parents

With two of my four kids out of the house, life has slowed down a little. But when everyone was home and I was homeschooling, our lives were crazy-busy, 24-7. To stay (relatively) sane, I rely on several corner-cutting tricks. One the biggest drains on time is meal preparation. Here are my best mealtime cheats and food preparation shortcuts. Though these may not sound like money-savers, in the long run they can be if with an eye to saving.  Mealtime cheats, shortcuts for crazy-busy parents

How I Set Work-at-Home Boundaries for Myself and Family

I've been a WAHM (work-at-home-mom) since 2005. Initially, it was part-time. Then in 2010, I became a full-time WAHM. There are advantages to working at home. I see more of my family, I'm readily available. I don't have to go out to work every day. Oddly, those advantages are closely related to the disadvantages. Work-at-home perks caused many problems before I learned to set boundaries. Here's how. How I Set Work-at-Home Boundaries for Myself and Family

Best Back to School Personal Calendar, Online Planner, Organizer Apps

Okay, I admit it--I am an organizer-ophile. I find it therapeutic to wander the planner aisle in Barnes & Noble. When I get a new cellphone, the first thing I play with is the calendar function. But I am also a tightwad--I will not pay for online organizers apps or calendar software. And I don't have to, nor do you, when there are so many free personal planner apps available online. Here are best free calendar, personal organizer apps. Personal Calendar, Planner, Organizer Apps

Study Finds Gender Discrepancies in Parent Multitasking

Moms multitask more than dads but enjoy it less, says a parenting study published in American Sociological Review. Here's what the study found about parents and their differing responses to managing multiple responsibilities at once. The study tested 368 mothers and 241 fathers in dual-earner families. Participants were given a wristwatch to wear at work and at home, researchers told NPR's Morning Edition. The watch beeped seven times a day. When it did, participants recorded what they were doing at the time, how many tasks they were performing at once and how they felt about it.  Study Finds Gender Discrepancies in Parent Multitasking

Tips to transition from school to summer schedule

Raise your hands, parents, if there are parts of summer vacation that you secretly dread. For kids, it's three months of freedom. For parents, summer break often means less structure, child care difficulties, work-play juggling, added responsibilities and all the headaches those entail. Here are ways to peacefully transition from school to summer break schedules. Read more here  Tips to transition from school to summer schedule

How I'm Keeping My Organization New Years Resolutions - Yahoo! Voices - voices.yahoo.com

If you're like me, making New Year's resolutions is the easy part. I think up a few goals on New Year's Eve, throw salt over my shoulder and toast my success. I'm great for the first few weeks of January, but by MLK Jr. Day, I've pretty much forgotten them. Here are ways I'm not only making but keeping my 2012 New Year's resolutions. Since most of my resolutions involve money, I'll focus on those. I'm also working on increased personal organization, so scheduling and multitasker tips figure heavily in this list, too. Read more at First Person: How I'm Keeping My Financial New Year's Resolutions

Strategies for Coping with Holiday Stress-Induced Relationship Problems

Strategies for Coping with Holiday Stress-Induced Relationship Problems It's one of life's enigmas; the winter holiday season, which is supposed to bring the greatest joy, sometimes causes more feelings of depression and anxiety. Relationships and marriages , says family therapist Rachel Sussman, often suffer holiday-related setbacks. Here's a look at holiday relationship issues, with some first-hand advice about ways to cope. Read more

How to Balance Family, Work, Play, Relationships and Life!

How do you balance work and family? How do you keep up with kids, relationships, love life, career, household finances and still remain relatively sane? I've held down a job, homeschooled four kids and survived to tell the tale. Here are some tips that work for me. Read more...

How to Keep from Going Nuts When Guests Stay Overnight

The holidays represent different things for different people. For many people, the holidays mean parties, entertaining and house guests, which means extra work and preparation. Can you be a good hostess and set boundaries for house guests? Absolutely. Use this guide anytime you have house guests. Read on...

How to Multitask for Parents

Today's world demands that we wear about five hats all at once! Multi-tasking is an essential skill. So here is a guide for parents who need to be in several places and do several things all at the same time! A note of caution, however, it is not healthy emotionally or physically to be 'on jump' all the time. If you run in high gear all of the time, your engine is gonna quit much sooner. Here's how to multitask when you need to. Read on...

Free Printable Calendars, Personalized Color Your Own

Do you keep a personal or family calendar? If you're like me, you have several calendars. Here is a tool to personalize, customize and design your calendars. Make coloring page calendars with animal, Bible, holiday, fantasy and cartoon character calendars. Read more...

Printable Thanksgiving Calendar, Craft Activity

Countdown calendars are a great math teaching tool for children to help them learning to organize, count and measure time. Here's a free printable countdown to Thanksgiving calendar. Fun craft activity keeps children productively occupied as the countdown the days to the Thanksgiving holiday. Read more

Sleep Schedules, Bedtime Rituals for Kids

Causes of Tiredness and Exhaustion in School-Aged Children I've been a teacher in various educational settings for over 25 years. There's an increasing and alarming trend among school age children: tired, sleepy, lethargic children who can't pay attention in class. Why is 'Sleep student syndrome' so prevalent? Read More

Easy Ways to Get Organized for Winter

Easy Ways to Organize Your Possessions, Your Home, Your Schedule and Your Life Does your life feel out of control, chaotic, disorganized and overwhelming? Here are easy, free tips to organize, purge, free up resources and live simply. These tips won't cost you anything except the loss of a massive load of stress. Read More

Free Personal Planner, Calendar, Memo, To Do List and Organizer Software Download

Free Mozilla Firefox ReminderFox Add On: Calendar, Personal Organizer, Planner I'm discovering daily how much I love Mozilla Firefox as an internet browser. Mozilla Firefox is a free browser that offers lots of great free add-ons. ReminderFox is a useful personal organizer, to-do list, planner and calendar add-on. Read More

Free Printable Back to School Organizers, Planners, Schedules, Chore and Homework Charts

Free Printable Back to School Organizers, Planners and Craft Activities "Back to School" has become a catch phrase in marketing. Back to School sales, shopping guides and promotions abound. We all know where we can go to spend money, but how about some money savers? Here are free printable school calendar, personal planners, student planner, homework planner and kids' activities. Read More

How to Clean Up the House in a Hurry!

Realtor's Guide to Quick Household Clean-up Clean the house in 10 fast easy steps with this guide. Written from the perspective of one who has readied many houses for realtor showings. Use this super-fast cleanup guide any time you need to get the house in shape quick. Use these quick tidy-ups when you're out of energy but still want a semi-clean environment. I do these when I walk into a mess, I'm on empty and ready to blow. Trust me, the family jumps in fast to help. If mama ain't happy I WILL make sure no one else is either! View more »