Holiday

We've been at this special needs parenting thing for 11 years now. It's intense, scary and overwhelming more days than we will tell you about. It's never ever getting to let your hair down, because somebody in your home is counting on you to do CPR, save their life, or monitor their vitals. Even nurses and doctors get time off, but as the parents, we don't. We sometimes get respite in the form of nurse or personal care attendant. And for the really lucky ones, sometimes a family member will step in and step up to help too. But this isn't an overwhelming majority of special needs households.  So how do you give a break to a parent who really can't...

If you are looking to purchase something for the mom friend in your life, here are some things all moms secretly want this holiday season. Power Cords Give a girl a spare phone charger. Maybe one of those traveling battery packs too. Oh, and a phone charger for the car while you’re at it. Make it a three pack. And if she is a mom to anyone 7 years or older, double it. This can help prevent the “talk fast my phones about to die” syndrome. You don’t know what I’m talking about? Call one of your mom friends … Sunglasses Nothing fancy. Think trade show freebies or swag bags from races. No mom ever has sunglasses when they need them WHERE they...

Do you ever feel like you're drowning in stuff? Especially toys? I've always done my best to keep the amount of stuff in our house to a minimum, but it never seems like enough. Christmas makes things particularly complicated. You see, my five year old daughter is an only child. I have one brother who has no children. My husband is an only child. Both of our parents are divorced (Though my mom and his dad have remarried). So, as you can imagine, my daughter gets LOTS of gifts. After her first Christmas, I wished I had bought stock in the company that makes Amazon's gift wrapping. Don't get me wrong, I'm incredibly grateful that my daughter is surrounded by so...

It's that time of year! Time to stock up on candy corn, cream of mushroom soup, and gift wrap! That's right - "It's the holiday season" ("so a-hoop dee doo and dickory dock!") And in my house -- like yours, I'm sure -- that means many things, from the days getting shorter to the dollars stretching longer. But one thing this season always guarantees is the Peanuts Holiday Collection. For us, it's time to dust off the DVD set of Charlie Brown and Friends for at least five months' worth of nostalgic cartoon-watching, stretching all the way from October to February. It begins early enough -- I would say that we wait until that first cool snap, but in Louisiana,...

I can't believe Thanksgiving is already here. This year has gone by too fast! My kids have already gone through the Toys R Us magazine circling what they want for Christmas, which is EVERYTHING. If you are looking for a fun and easy Thanksgiving craft to do with your kids that incorporates the meaning of being thankful, this thankful turkey craft is perfect. Items Needed I was able to find all the items I needed at Walmart for under $5. Any craft under $5 is always a win in my book. I grabbed felt sheets in 5 different colors, 1 sheet of brown foam paper, and adhesive googly eyes. I already had a sharpie/markers, scissors and glue at home. Steps to the...