Archive for December, 2008
Dec
24
Posted by
besttech
WHAT: Great Lakes Science Center will be hosting New Year’s Eve Eve next Tuesday
WHERE: Great Lakes Science Center
601 Erieside Ave.
Cleveland, OH 44114
(at North Coast Harbor)
WHEN: December 30, 6:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.
BACKGROUND INFO: The Great Lakes Science Center will be hosting the fourth annual New Year’s Eve Eve, a late-night family event, on December 30 from 6:30 to 11:30 p.m. With families having access to more... Read more
Dec
24
Posted by
besttech
We asked parents to share their favorite family traditions from the holidays. Here are some of our favorite responses. They might inspire you to start a new tradition of your own.
“My favorite tradition is our family’s ugly ornament contest. We have a lot of fun coming up with horrible-looking ornaments. You can buy or make them. It’s a great family activity. We also have a nice ornament exchange, but no one gets nearly as excited.” — Sara Grotz
“Last year, we sent gift boxes to the troops instead of every family exchanging presents. This year, we are going to have the family make a donation as a whole to Make-A-Wish. I like this tradition because it helps us remember that it is more fun to...
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Dec
23
Posted by
besttech
We at Lorain County Moms got this press release and thought we’d pass it along. We can’t vouch for the service — haven’t tried it — but it certainly sounds appealing ….
Pandora Corp. is leaving a gift under every parent’s tree this holiday season: PC Pandora absolutely free! The economy is tough, but Internet safety for children is one area that we cannot afford to let suffer.
Monitoring software will help parents keep their kids safe from Internet predators, cyberbullies and other threats online.
Beginning at 12:01 a.m. Dec. 25, and through New Years Day, the company will be giving away its signature computer monitoring software, PC Pandora, absolutely free.
“The economy is making the holidays difficult for a lot...
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Dec
23
Posted by
Julie Wallace
I had the weekend all planned out: I’d get the house cleaned on Saturday, go with my daughter and my mother to The Nutcracker Ballet on Saturday night at LCCC, finish shopping on Sunday and enjoy Sunday evening, when Santa was paying a special visit to our house.
But even the best-laid plans never work out that way, do they?
Sure, I got the house cleaned … on Sunday. And we did attend the ballet (a first for my daughter — she loved it) and we enjoyed Santa’s visit. But the shopping? Yeah, well, I never quite made it out to do that.
So there I was this morning, up at the crack of dawn finishing some homemade presents I was working on and then heading out — shopping before work. Every year, I tell myself I’m going to do this...
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Dec
23
Posted by
besttech
Between holiday wish lists, holiday food overload and winter break from school, it can be an overwhelming time of year for parents. Even though the kids are off school and routines are in complete disarray, don’t let your parenting skills take a vacation.
In the spirit of a famous holiday song, I put a twist on the “12 Days of Christmas.” This year, with the economy being so weak, everyone is looking for value, so here are 13 ways — a baker’s dozen — to ease stress, stay healthy and save money this holiday season.
First, on gifts:
1. Turn whining into wish lists: Get your kids to write wish lists. This serves many useful purposes. First, it teaches the important lesson of delayed gratification; provides...
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Dec
23
Posted by
besttech
By April McCaffery LOS ANGELES MOMS BLOG
Once upon a time, I read the article “The Overscheduled Child” and thought, I will never let this happen to my girls. MY girls will only do one extracurricular activity at a time. MY girls will have plenty of unstructured play time to be free.
And then, Sylvia started sixth grade. Suddenly, I have a cheerleading schedule, a basketball schedule and a possible band schedule to manage.
It started off innocently enough. Sylvia started a new school this year. When she expressed an interest in joining the cheerleading squad, I thought it was a perfect opportunity for her to make new friends and be...
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Dec
23
Posted by
besttech
McClatchy-Tribune
Moms Forum spotlights useful discussion taking place on the parenting forums of newspapers around the country.
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QUESTION: “Since I got pregnant and had my daughter, I seem to have become a hermit. It wasn’t that long ago that I was Miss Social, constantly going somewhere or doing something with friends. I’m not working right now and that makes it hard to network and meet friends on my own. My husband has commented that I don’t have any friends and it bothers him. He worries about me sitting at home with the baby all day and not being social, it’s very unlike me. I have always been a bit shy when it comes to making new friends, but once the...
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Dec
23
Posted by
besttech
Giving your kid a gadget this year? Monica Vila, founder of TheOnlineMom.com, suggests setting these rules for kids:
— Never e-mail or IM your picture to someone you don’t know; they may not be who they say they are.
— Never open a picture a stranger has sent you by e-mail or IM (and strangers include people you’ve met online but don’t know in person).
— Never post sexually provocative pictures.
— Don’t use Web cams without parental supervision. When using them, always be aware of what’s in the other person’s field of vision, and always turn them off and close their lenses when you’re finished.
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Dec
23
Posted by
Alicia Castelli
Merry Christmas everyone! For once, I’m finished with Christmas preparations a little early this year. The decision to cut costs included not mailing Christmas cards which shortened my to-do list as well so maybe that’s why.
I can’t help but be a little introspective this year when so much is uncertain economically. I found myself looking back to last year’s Christmas season and it helped to reaffirm an important lesson I’m trying to teach my kids. The focus of Christmas for kids should not be the presents. That’s an incredibly hard thing to... Read more
Dec
22
Posted by
besttech
I have been fortunate throughout my lifetime to not have suffered a slew of injuries. I’ve never broken a bone, had only one childhood accident that required stitches to fix and can only recall a handful of incidents that ended in my own bloodshed.
I suffered a high ankle sprain playing football, and cracked three ribs landing on my ruck sack during a training combat jump on my final day of Airborne School while in the Army. I have dodged the rough stuff, and until this week had also managed to elude the weird injuries like tennis elbow and athlete’s foot.
Yes, somehow, someway, I have become the victim of gift wrapper’s thumb.
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