Winter. It’s cold. The kids are home for the holidays or for snow days. You might be at a loss to figure out what to do with them that is affordable and fun. Here we have a list of 50 ideas of free or cheap activities for kids. Some of these activities are outdoors, so please keep our tips for keeping safe outside in mind. Snowball fightMake snow angelsMake a snowmanGo … [Read more...] about 50 Free Winter Activity Ideas
The Affordable Connectivity Program
There is no doubt that technology has become an integral part of our daily lives. We utilize it for entertainment, transportation, communication, and countless other things. And one of the most transformative innovations that is used all over the world is, of course, the internet. Internet service is, without a doubt, a very useful, functional tool to have; however, … [Read more...] about The Affordable Connectivity Program
Medicare Basics
Medicare is a form of public health insurance created by federal law. Most people who work in the U.S. have taxes withheld from their pay under the Federal Insurance Contributions Act (FICA). The taxes are for old-age, survivors, and disability insurance (Social Security tax) and for hospital insurance (Medicare tax). Who is eligible for Medicare? • People age 65 … [Read more...] about Medicare Basics
Free Résumé Writing Resources from Harvard
Your cover letter and résumé are often your first impression on a future employer. You want that impression to be the best. Now, what if I told you that Harvard (yes, that Harvard) has free resources online to help you in your job search? Here are 4 resources we have found: From the Undergrad Resource Series: This free document has tips on how to make a good résumé with … [Read more...] about Free Résumé Writing Resources from Harvard
12 Free Ways To Integrate Learning Into Your Daily Routine
Education doesn’t have to be expensive or overly time-consuming! Carve out a little bit of time each day to learn something new, and you’ll be surprised as your knowledge and hunger for learning increases over time. Practice a new language on Duolingo.Read. Constantly! Peruse the library and find your new favorite genre.Make note of unfamiliar words you encounter while … [Read more...] about 12 Free Ways To Integrate Learning Into Your Daily Routine
5 Daily Habits for Overall Health
Amid a busy schedule and the demands of everyday living, it’s easier than you’d think to neglect your health and well-being. While we probably don’t have the time to have a spa experience every day, it’s important to prioritize good personal habits in order to maintain overall health. Here are 5 ideas for daily health habits you can start implementing now! Stay … [Read more...] about 5 Daily Habits for Overall Health
Helping Dad Balance Work and Being a Parent
Editor’s Note: We know that there are many different types of families, including those headed by a single parent, partnered parents, multigenerational households, etc. This article specifically addresses married, mother-father couples. Balancing parenting and work is no easy feat. Understandably, it’s a responsibility that many fathers juggle with. However, when handled … [Read more...] about Helping Dad Balance Work and Being a Parent
Self-Care for Pregnancy During College
Managing physical and mental health is crucial for anyone during college. But now with a baby on the way, it’s even more important to not only take care of your baby but also take care of the person carrying her or him: YOU! Here are some reminders of how to properly navigate self-care: Eat Well. It is incredibly important you give your body enough fuel to get through the … [Read more...] about Self-Care for Pregnancy During College
Jobs You Can Do from Home
Looking for a job with more flexible hours? Want to spend more time with your children at home? Hoping for a change of pace when it comes to your work, or maybe a job that allows you to be more creative? Regardless of the reason, many find non-office based work to be extremely beneficial and convenient. Here are some ideas for non-office based jobs that could be right for … [Read more...] about Jobs You Can Do from Home
Setting Up a Nursing Room at Work
Being a nursing mom is very rewarding, but it can certainly be difficult, especially while in a workplace setting. Some schools and workplaces have nursing or lactation rooms that make things a little easier on nursing moms! Here are a few ideas for how your workplace can create a nursing room for employees that are breastfeeding their child. The initial setup is fairly simple, … [Read more...] about Setting Up a Nursing Room at Work
DIY Soil Analysis
Many beginner gardeners don’t think about their soil before they jump into gardening and start planting in their backyard. However, the quality of your soil will determine the success of your garden. Soil is what allows plants to absorb water and nutrients, so it is the foundation of your garden. Knowing a little about your soil can go a long way. 3 Main Soil Types + … [Read more...] about DIY Soil Analysis
What Is Gentle Parenting?
You may have heard of “gentle parenting” before. You might have heard people making fun of it or praising it. But what exactly is it? It’s a philosophy of parenting that focuses on encouraging independence and a close relationship between the parent and child. The basis of gentle parenting is to work on building relationships, having the kind of relationship with your child … [Read more...] about What Is Gentle Parenting?
Track Your Pregnancy with Your App
Every moment of pregnancy contains exciting information about your baby. There are various apps out there today that make awareness of the stunning prenatal development of your baby available at your fingertips. Ten current pregnancy apps are listed in the article “Monitor Your Bump (and Enjoy the Ride!) With the 10 Best Pregnancy Apps for Parents-to-Be.” In my current … [Read more...] about Track Your Pregnancy with Your App
What Is ADHD, and How Do I Get a Diagnosis?
ADHD is a medical condition that is not uncommon in children. You have likely heard of it. You may even have opinions about it. It stands for “attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.” You may have heard of the term ADD. That is still sometimes used to indicate an attention issue that does not include hyperactivity, but it is no longer clinically considered a separate thing. … [Read more...] about What Is ADHD, and How Do I Get a Diagnosis?
What Is Sleep Training?
There are few things more stressful in the first months of a child’s life than dealing with a baby’s sleep schedule. Or lack thereof. Sleep can be hard to come by in the beginning. Thinking about it from the baby’s perspective, she just spent nine months inside the mom’s body protected from the cold and bright lights able to sleep whenever she wanted — in fact sleeping a good … [Read more...] about What Is Sleep Training?
Know Your Plant Hardiness Zone to Have a Successful Garden
If you are interested in outdoor gardening, and if you do not have access to a greenhouse, you will need to know your plant hardiness zone to have a successful garden. Before you buy any plants or seeds, take a moment to research your plant hardiness zone, also referred to as a “growing zone,” or simply a “planting zone,” or “hardiness zone.” Especially if you are a … [Read more...] about Know Your Plant Hardiness Zone to Have a Successful Garden
How to Lovingly Discipline Your Foster Child
Many, if not most, foster care systems forbid foster parents from using any kind of corporal punishment or any other kind of punishment (such as yelling) that is aimed at demeaning a child. Your foster child may have emotional or physical scars from punishments that she had received at her last home. This can make discipline issues hard to navigate for some parents. What can … [Read more...] about How to Lovingly Discipline Your Foster Child
How to Lovingly Discipline Teenagers
The most notorious stage after toddlerhood must be the teenager stage. Teenagers, like toddlers, are seeking independence and are working on developing the skills to handle that independence. Once again, some of the advice for earlier stages applies as well to teenagers, such as staying calm. But teenagers, as they will be happy to tell you, are also their own people. There are … [Read more...] about How to Lovingly Discipline Teenagers
Prepping Your Nursery!
As your little miracle continues to grow in your womb, naturally the time comes to start thinking about setting up her or his new room. Ideally it will be comfortable for you and your little one as well, as functional. According to pediatrician Scott W. Cohen, M.D., it is easy to overbuy items for babies. In his book, Eat, Sleep, Poop: A Common Sense Guide to Your Baby’s … [Read more...] about Prepping Your Nursery!
Getting Started with a Hydroponic Garden System
Concerned about expensive food costs? Or maybe you want to explore a new gardening option for your family to enjoy? If you’re new to indoor gardening, and you’d like a foolproof way to get started, I highly recommend investing in a hydroponic garden system, also known as a water garden. A hydroponic garden system is an indoor gardening machine which allows you to grow plants … [Read more...] about Getting Started with a Hydroponic Garden System
10 Tips for Sleepovers
Sleepovers are a fun and important part of growing up. Most children, at some point, want to show their independence by spending the night outside of the house and with friends. It may be a nerve-wracking experience for parents, but it doesn’t have to be. Here are our 10 tips to make it safe, fun, and comfortable: Let the child take the lead on when she is ready. There is no … [Read more...] about 10 Tips for Sleepovers
How to Lovingly Discipline Elementary-Age Kids
Elementary school children are starting to spread their wings and work toward becoming the adults they one day will be, but they still need some guidance in learning what are good things to do. A lot of the advice for toddlers, funnily enough, still applies here, like staying calm and being prompt. But these older children are capable of a lot more than the toddlers, and here … [Read more...] about How to Lovingly Discipline Elementary-Age Kids
How to Organize a Playdate
There is nothing that a child (or a parent) needs more than a playdate. It helps develop social skills. It helps the child and the parent to know they are not alone. But sometimes, they can be awkward, and sometimes, you can get nervous. There are ways to help playdates go smoothly. Here are some of our tips: When your child hits it off with another child and your intuition … [Read more...] about How to Organize a Playdate
How to Lovingly Discipline Toddlers
Toddlers want to be independent, but they don’t have the mental or physical capacity to do so. They have big emotions and tiny bodies that don’t know how to express themselves. There are ways to discipline and help your child grow, even in this difficult stage. First and foremost, stay calm. An angry or frantic adult cannot deal well with a child who is having difficulties. … [Read more...] about How to Lovingly Discipline Toddlers
10 Tips for Your Second Trimester
As you enter the second trimester of pregnancy, here are a few suggestions that I have learned in my pregnancy: Go on a babymoon! After reaching the second trimester, my body felt much more normal again, and I was ready to go on vacation! Bring medicine with you such as acetaminophen, antacids, laxatives, your prenatal vitamins and any other medicine you think you … [Read more...] about 10 Tips for Your Second Trimester
Your Pregnancy Test Is Positive: Now What?
Take a moment to process what you just found out. If you think about it, pregnancy is essentially the most natural thing in the world. Research shows that about half of all pregnancies are unplanned. So if your pregnancy was unplanned, you are definitely not alone! Human intimacy is very mysterious, and the process of new life is mysterious and … [Read more...] about Your Pregnancy Test Is Positive: Now What?
Intro to Aquaponics
Looking for a way to save money by growing your own healthy food while entertaining your children at the same time? Aquaponics is a fun way to start your sustainable home gardening journey. What is aquaponics? Aquaponics combines aquatic animals (most commonly, fish) with farming. Take a regular aquarium, put a couple of plants on top, and voila! You are an aquaponic … [Read more...] about Intro to Aquaponics
Worse Than Morning Sickness: When You Have Hyperemesis Gravidarum
Although “morning sickness” is typically considered a normal side effect of pregnancy, for some women, nausea and vomiting can be severe and life-altering, even life-threatening. A woman is considered to have hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) if her vomiting is so severe that she loses over a kilogram (2.2 pounds) weekly or 5% of her body weight over time, experiences electrolyte … [Read more...] about Worse Than Morning Sickness: When You Have Hyperemesis Gravidarum
10 Free New Year’s Resolutions
This is the time of year where we start seeing ads everywhere for gyms and other aids to help you “start the new year right.” Whatever you’d like to see in yourself in the new year, you do not need to spend the money on a costly gym membership or an online class. Here are 10 New Year’s resolutions you can start today for free: Take a 30-minute walk daily. Daily walks have … [Read more...] about 10 Free New Year’s Resolutions
Top Remote Jobs Today
As out-of-office work continues to be prevalent in the job market, various companies have reportedly observed high productivity from employees working from home. Many federal, state, and local governments have moved to hybrid work or majority telework. According to Flexjobs.com, several private companies are now offering long-term flexible work positions, including Adobe, … [Read more...] about Top Remote Jobs Today
Home Fire Safety Tips
One of the scariest things that could ever happen to your home is a house fire. It is likely that you were taught in school some basic fire safety tips, such as, “Stop, drop, and roll.” In the list below, we have more tips for fire safety. How to Prevent Fire in Your Home: How to Keep People Safe: A house fire is something that can largely be prevented and planned … [Read more...] about Home Fire Safety Tips
Low-Cost Tips for Modifying Home for an Elderly Loved One
As someone you love grows older and needs more help, you may be considering your loved one’s living options to keep her or him safe and happy. Here are some low-cost tips to help you modify an existing home as your loved ones age: Tip #1: Remove Any Throw Rugs Throw rugs are nice accents to a room, but as your loved one ages, they can become a hindrance. The ends … [Read more...] about Low-Cost Tips for Modifying Home for an Elderly Loved One
Tips for Halloween Safety
If your kids are going around the neighborhood trick-or-treating, it can be a little nerve-wracking because it’s such a different night for parents, but with some planning, it can be a safe and fun time for everyone. Here are some of our best tips for a happy, safe Halloween: Make sure that young children are accompanied by an adult chaperone you trust.If you are comfortable … [Read more...] about Tips for Halloween Safety
How Redshirting Can Help Pregnant Athletes
What is redshirting? Redshirting is the practice of holding a student's place on a college sports team so that she will be able to return to the team after a set period of time. This practice, normally used for medical leave, allows the student athlete to keep her spot on the team, along with any sports-related scholarships, until it is feasible for her to … [Read more...] about How Redshirting Can Help Pregnant Athletes