The ABC's of Everything Blog

​As children growing up we were always being told to "go outside and play" especially on weekends. This was also the standard response when we voiced our frustration about "having nothing to do". Of course times have changed.  Now kids have access to so many different types of electronic entertainment that they never need to be bored. This is ...

I want to share this simple, but very sweet Father's Day craft project I found on the Fun Handprint Art website. All you need is some finger paint, poster board, fun stickers and a black marker. You can add additional bling, photos, or anything else you think dad would like. For a more finished look, you can put this art in one of those inexpensive...

Recently I was reminiscing with my son about the summer we put hummingbird feeders in our backyard and how much fun it was to watch the birds and their antics. We discovered they had different personalities and different roles. One bird was always keeping a look out while others were feeding. There was a hierarchy to who could feed first and as we ...

I remember starting to panic about a month before summer vacation every year. How to fill all that leisure time my son would have day after day, week after week, which seemed like eternity. I would start by looking into some kind of camp (which only covered a small amount of the days I needed to fill) then moving on to some sort of sporting involve...

I would describe mindfulness as "being in the present moment" the practice of focusing on what is happening right now and nothing more. It's a timeout from being in the past or future and an opportunity to take a break from over thinking, a time to quiet your mind and body. So how is this helpful for children? Practicing mindfulness throughout the ...

The first thing to happen would be that most of my favorite foods like vegetables, fruits and nuts would go with them.No more salads, stir fry's or delicious smoothies, and what kind of summer would it be without watermelon, wine and cheese parties. Yes – no more cheese, food sources for our animals would also be diminished. This is not the world I...

​This is Webster's definition of a mother and I can tell you as a mother and a grandmother that this makes me feel pretty special. Well, Webster was a man and therefore not a "female parent" so maybe this is the best he could come up with. You can't really know the hugeness of motherhood until you have a child. (Although, many people feel...

​Part 2 of our adventure into the world of food labels should provide you with the remainder of information you need to go down the aisles of any grocery store and feel confident that you really know what you're buying and more importantly what you're eating. All-Natural / Natural / 100% Natural In regards to beef and poultry, "Natural" means a pro...

The other day I bought a bag of potato chips. I know, not the best snack choice but the bag had multiple labels on the front indicating that they were probably a healthy choice. The label included, made with olive oil, vegan, non-GMO, gluten free, only 140 calories per serving. Wow – with those kinds of credentials they must be good for you – ...

Most of us start off each New Year with a list of resolutions or intentions related to what we want to change about our self or our situations. I want to lose weight, exercise more, eat better, have more fun, work less, make more money -- the list goes on and on. We tend to focus on things about ourselves or our interactions that we don't like...

​When most of us start thinking about the holidays it's with a mixture of pleasant anticipation and an overwhelming sense of how much we have to do. Gift buying, planning holiday meals and activities, travel and not enough time to get it all done.  This joyous time of the year can easily become the most stressful, exhausting and expensive time...

Most of us are already thinking about holiday meals and how much delicious food is going to be in front us for the next couple of months.  Between family celebrations, office parties, holiday dinners and the traditional goodies available only during this time of the year, it's almost impossible not to overeat and overindulge (and possibly put ...

I'm a list maker – everyday I add to and cross things off my lists, but the lists never seem to get any shorter. At the end of the day I can look at my list and feel really productive because I've crossed so many things of it. Not being measurably productive is hard for me. I have actually completed a task that was not originally on my list and gon...

Even though my son is now an adult with children of his own, I still have the most enjoyable memories of the time we spent together reading aloud. This is a wonderful activity that only requires a book and your attention. No waiting in line, no big monetary expenditure or long car rides. In fact – you don't even have to get dressed if you don't wan...