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

Keep Preschool, Toddler Children Busy With Free Activities

 As a 10-year homeschooling mom of four, I know about multitasking with kids. The hardest age of child to keep productively occupied is toddler. Maybe I should rephrase "productive" to "occupied in parent-approved ways." Our kids were always productively employed, at least in their minds. From a parent's view it looked like mess-making. And during the holidays it only gets worse. More work, antsy kids, abnormal schedules, added events make it more challenging to keep a toddler in check. Here are parent-friendly, child-minder holiday activities. For free printables to occupy kids, click the "printables" keyword on this blog or check out my link blogs. You'll find enough printable games, crafts, cut and paste toys and educational activities to keep an army of kids busy! Toddler Child-minder Activities for Busy Parents

Increase Blog Rank, Improve Search Engine Optimization

I've been freelancing online since 2005 and blogging since 2008. My blogs do well on Google ranks and generate thousands of hits monthly. In recent Google Panda and Penguin updates, they dropped. however. Here's what I did wrong and what I fixed to reflect current SEO (search engine optimization) practices. Read more

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

Recycled Halloween, Fall Crafts for Preschoolers

With older kids going back to school, little ones get bored. And bored preschoolers means parents must entertain or face consequences. Here are fall and Halloween-themed preschool crafts to occupy preschool children. These are great for a Halloween party, too. Easy, inexpensive crafts using recycled materials. Eco-Friendly Recycled Halloween and Autumn Harvest Craft Ideas 

Ways Save Money on Back to School Shopping, Get Free Haircuts

As summer winds down, parents and kids are gearing up to go back to school. For parents, kids returning to school means back-to-school shopping. In 2012, the Detroit News reported that families will spend an average $688 per child on back-to-school purchases. Detroiters, if you’re looking to save money on back-to-school purchases, here are places in the metro area to do it. Here are ways to get free haircuts, free school supplies and save money in any city. Read on Ways Save Money on Back to School Shopping

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

How to balance family summer schedules with sleep-late teens

Summer vacation means different things for kids than it does for parents. Older kids and teens look forward to staying up late and sleeping late. Mom and dad, unfortunately, don't have that luxury. We still have that four-letter word (work) to look forward to. Here are tips to balance family life with late-blooming teens (---and cats!) and early rising parenting.  Balancing family summer schedules with sleep-late teens 

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

Git-er-Done Tips--Cooking, Cleaning, Laundry, Childcare, Homeschool, Work-at Home--for Moms

How to Do it All for Moms--Get the Cooking, Cleaning, Laundry and Kid-care Done All at Once (Sanely). A guide to help you successfully launder the clothing, clean the house, put in some time on your home business, get some errands or paperwork accomplished, put a tasty, nutritious meal on the table and nurture the children in a timely manner without losing your mind! Tips and how-2's from a homeschooler mama of four children (and many collected from friends and mentors along the way!) View more »

Multitask: Get Your Work Done and Entertain Your Toddler

How to Occupy a Toddler and Still Get Work Done Great multitasking tips and ideas for ways to entertain and occupy a toddler and still get your housework done. View more »