Why Some Parents are Unschooling Their Kids

Unschooling is a form of homeschooling that involves less structure and more child-centered learning. Parents who are unhappy with the way that learning is presented at schools have been turning to the unschooling movement as their solution for what their child’s education should be like. Unschooling has some similarities with homeschooling. In both cases, a child stays home and receives his or her education there (instead of in a classroom at a school). Each educational style allows parents to be very involved in what their child is taught. Parents can set the speed that information is presented in order to … Continue reading

“Dads Don’t Babysit” Shirt Sparks Conversation

There are certain stereotypes about parenting that persist despite the fact that the world has changed. One of them is the concept that dads are not able to take care of their own children. One dad has gotten so fed-up about being called a “babysitter” that he has created a t-shirt designed to crush that stereotype. Al Ferguson is a British writer who is the founder of the Dad Network. It is a blog dedicated to the art of modern fatherhood. It is an online hub and support network for dads. You might be familiar with “mommy blogs” – but … Continue reading

Spring into a New Wardrobe for Less

Putting together a spring wardrobe can be exciting, especially when you have the budget for it. But what do you do if your finances are tight? Get creative of course. Here are several ways to spring into a new wardrobe for less. Use Transitional Pieces Extend your winter wardrobe into spring by using transitional pieces, such as swapping our darker colors for light or investing in an inexpensive scarf that will give you a pop of color. A different shoe may also update a winter look for early spring. Use Trends Wisely Patterns are really big in fashion this spring, … Continue reading

5 Frugal Practices That May Be Costing You Money

Sometimes even the best intentions to save money fail. Are you losing money while trying to be frugal? Here are five frugal practices that may be costing you money. • Stockpiling Do you still have cans of vegetables from 2001? Have the breadcrumbs gone stale? Stockpiling is a great way to save money and to be prepared for rising prices, but when you have half a pantry full of expired food then stockpiling is costing you money. To solve this problem, don’t give up on the stockpiling, just get a little more organized. Rotate your pantry items and keep track … Continue reading

Encouraging Kindness

It’s been snowing a lot here in Salt Lake. We probably got a good foot in the last week and with the way this winter has gone, I wouldn’t be a bit surprised if it just kept coming. One of the downsides to the never-ending snow is that the driveways and sidewalks need to be shoveled almost constantly. This week our sweet next door neighbor not only did our driveway but all of our sidewalks as well. It was such a pleasant surprise to go out to my car and not get stuck in the driveway this time. We have … Continue reading

Take a Deep Breath

I have a confession to make. I give great advice, but I haven’t been following it lately. I’ve been letting the stress of life get to me. So much so that I had a major melt down last night which in turn led my body to tell me to quit it. How does my body tell me this you ask? I woke up with a cold sore. I had never had one of these until I met my ex-husband, one of the many negative things he passed along. But now, whenever I let the emotional stress consume me I inevitably … Continue reading

5 Tips for a Fitter Thanksgiving

Hosting the Thanksgiving meal this week, I have a lot to do. And I will be honest…exercising is not one of the first things on my mind. In fact, if I could have my way, it would be skipped this entire week. At least that’s what the “old” me would have done. I would have gone into this week thinking, “I already know that I will be eating more than I usually do come Thursday, so why bother to workout?” The thinking is that I will just start again on Monday. But like I said, that is what the old … Continue reading

Charles Darwin’s Race for Congress

I love our country and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else, but I think most of us would admit that election time – especially a presidential election – is just crazy. For instance, some people said they voted for Obama and the screen automatically switched to Romney, or vice versa. In some voting venues, mysterious “Please have a photo ID ready” signs showed up, even though photo IDs were not required. Some people were concerned that the deceased may be casting votes and some Florida results are still not clear – almost a week after the elections. But, I heard … Continue reading

Not Always Joined at the Hip

Jon and I started dating in college, and we were far from the only ones in our social circles to do so. Some of the others would make fun of us, giving us couples’ names, like the media does for dating celebrities (our name was Jangela). It never really bothered me, except for one potential interpretation: was there some truth in the fact that I didn’t do much without Jon? Looking back, I think that I had enough friends and enough things going on in my college life that were separate from my boyfriend. But I could see how it … Continue reading

Halloween Allergens, Dyslexic Fonts, and Homecoming

This week, the Special Needs Blog has included a wide range of topics. I guess that makes the Special Needs Blog Week in Review a little bit more interesting. This time, we have blogs about mercury, Halloween related allergens, Homecoming, medications for kids who don’t need it, and a font that can be read by people with dyslexia. “No Candy Halloween” Safer for Kids With Food Allergies This Halloween, consider offering a non-food item to the trick-or-treaters that come to your door. Halloween candy often contains allergens that children who have food allergies cannot safely consume. Everyone can enjoy a … Continue reading