Study: Kids Raised by Single Moms do as Well as Kids Raised by Two Parents

A study that was published by the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology found that children of single mothers are no more likely to suffer later in life than kids raised by a mother and a father “in terms of parent-child relationship or child development.” Researchers from the University of Amsterdam looked at 69 “single-mothers-by-choice.” By that, they meant women who knowingly chose to raise their child alone. The researchers also looked at 59 mothers from heterosexual two-parent families. All of the parents in the study had children between the ages of 1.5 years of age and 6 years … Continue reading

Study: Milk Consumption Associated With Bone Fractures

A study found that milk doesn’t do the body as good as you may have been led to believe. This doesn’t mean you should stop consuming milk. It means you should be aware of current findings about milk, health, and nutrition. A study called “Milk and Mortality” was published in the British Medical Journal in October of 2014. It used data from two large, long-term Swedish studies of adult men and women. The people in the study were asked about how much and what kinds of milk and dairy products they consumed. The study was led by Uppsala University professor … Continue reading

What’s it Like to Parent Two Mentally Ill Children?

Several years ago, Susan and Michael Schofield learned that their daughter, Jani, had been born with schizophrenia. The couple had a second child, a son named Bodhi. At first, they believed that Bodhi was born without any mental illnesses. As time went on, they learned that Bodhi also has some mental health issues. What’s it like to parent not one, but two, mentally ill children? Michael and Susan Schofield decided to publicly share their story about parenting a child with schizophrenia when their daughter, Jani, was six years old. As an infant, Jani did not sleep for more than half … Continue reading

Three Families in an Undesirable School District

Faced with an undesirable school district and a tight budget? Here is how three different families adapted. Some years ago, we shared a town and school district with the in-laws. We both had young children and were facing the prospect of placing them in a not-so-great school district. While the town was lovely, the fact was that the school district was one of the worst in the state, due to some poor management, overcrowding, and a strange bussing policy that retained the option of pulling our elementary students to distant schools in areas with high crime rates. In addition to … Continue reading

Saving Money with Home Repairs

So last month I covered the cleaning aspect of housekeeping.  I mentioned in the beginning of this year that housekeeping encompasses cleaning, home repairs, decorating and organizing. For the month of February, the focus will be on basic home repairs.  Knowing how to do some of these can help save money. This past week I got to experience a taste of this after discovering a leaky pipe in my kitchen.  Normally leaks come from underneath the sink.  But this one was coming through the cabinet next to my sink. It unfortunately required my husband, who is not a plumber, to … Continue reading

Three Ways We Lower Winter Energy Costs

We have been experiencing some pretty cold weather here, with slow, sleet and wintry wind chills that make it dangerous to be outside, unprotected, for any length of time. Naturally, as we use more energy to heat our home, our costs for this month (and the next few) will be higher than normal. A couple of years ago, we installed new energy-efficient windows and insulated the attic and the basement, two moves that really helped our bills. Still, each year, there are some simple methods that can be used to reduce the winter energy costs even more. They don’t require … Continue reading

Earn Money with Your iPad or Tablet

Take advantage of your iPad or Tablet to earn money. With the iPad or Tablets capabilities, you can pad your bank account with some extra cash. Here is how. Selling Books Grab your iPad or tablet and head to the nearest thrift store. Using apps, you can scan promising looking books and find out exactly how much they are worth in the resell market. This means that books you can purchase for 50 cents or a dollar could be worth much, much, more. Don’t forget to hit yard sales as well, where you may be able to pick up an … Continue reading

What Not to Do in Front of Your Kids When It Comes to Money

Children learn what they see. It is a true statement for any kind of behavior including money management. Children’s attitudes toward money and whether or not they will be able to make it work for them as adults has much to do with their parents. If you are married, think about any differences that there might be between you and your spouse, regarding any issues having to do with money. Is one of you more a saver than a spender? Do you approach investing or debt the same way? Chances are that you may each have different ideas about handling … Continue reading

How to Turn Your Resolution to Save Money into a Reality

Make sure that you can turn your resolution to save money into a reality when you put the following steps into place. It isn’t enough just to resolve to be frugal or cut back. You have to make a commitment and then know where to begin and how to keep it going. It takes just 21 days, by conventional wisdom, to turn a resolution into a habit. That means with just a little effort each day for the next three weeks, you can start down a path of a lifetime of saving with the end result being financial solvency. The … Continue reading

Mother Writes Lovely Blog About her Preemie

Every once in a while, it is nice to read a lovely blog that a mother has written about her child. There is a blog called Micro-Preemie to Miracle that mom Sarah Bollinger started about her son, Everett, who was born at 15 weeks premature. He’s come a long way! I always find stories about preemies to be very interesting. There is something fascinating about the story of a teeny, tiny, baby that struggles to grow and thrive. Often, their stories are uplifting and inspiring. It is nice to read something positive! Last December, I wrote about a preemie named … Continue reading