The best way to be prepared is to plan. This takes time and coordination, but this is little to ask when it comes to the safety of our families.

I absorb it; my day is reflected in who I am. And I have found enormous satisfaction in life through the simplicity of sunshine.

My husband and I decided to take a trip to Duluth, MN, for New Year's to visit family. After five hours of driving, we made it to the hotel.

I’ve decided to make smaller, incremental goals. These may seem mediocre, but this resolution of “chipping away” is saving my sanity and actually helping me feel more content with myself as I welcome the new year.

While my darling daughter has many positive qualities, keeping track of her belongings isn’t necessarily one of them. A few weeks had gone by, she was way behind on her reading … and her book was suddenly missing.

Children are naturally inclined to choose juice or chocolate milk over water. This leads to adults who choose soda and flavored juices. We need to encourage our children and ourselves to improve our water habits. 

What is “the best” diaper? It’s the eternal question that every pregnant mother, new parent, and mother of many has asked. Ask your friends, and they’ll all have different answers.

I am no less self-conscious about my changing body now that I am pregnant, and I know I am going to be growing, but I still do not welcome comments about my weight.

Maybe this year, you can add another tradition to your holidays. Let’s work on spreading the message of the holidays in new ways this year, starting with kindness.

Octavia would meet someone new and want to draw them a picture or “make them a card.” When kindergarten started, the bus driver was the first recipient to whom my bubbly 5-year-old presented her with a piece of paper with crunchy, brown leaves taped to it.