Search Results for: blog are you not your pets favorite person

Preserving Generational Memories

Some families celebrate the summer with an annual reunion; however, there are some clans that only undertake a massive get-together every other year. If you are part of the latter group, but miss crafting a scrapbook of the event, don’t fret. There are plenty of ways you can create a memory album featuring multiple generations of your family. The first hurdle to overcome is photo and memorabilia collecting. Since you won’t be snapping pictures of all of your loved ones in one central place, you will have to gather images individually. To help you with this task, consider asking relative … Continue reading →

The Importance of Touch

My husband just returned to work after 3-4 days home sick with a fever. I doted on him for the duration. I didn’t do it because I thought it was the wife’s role, but because it’s what I’d expect anyone to do if a person they loved was ill. I expect similar dedication from Jon when I’m not feeling well. Copying many of the nursing habits my mom employed when my brother and I were sick growing up, I made him endless cups of tea: Echinacea, cold care, green tea with honey. I froze juice and made slushies for him. … Continue reading →

Say It With Flowers

Yesterday my second grader selected the Valentine’s Day cards and treats she plans to gift to her classmates in about, oh, three weeks or so. Given that Wal-Mart, Target and Walgreens have been selling Valentine’s Day paraphernalia since December 27th, I figured we’re far from ahead of the curve. Not far from the Scooby-Doo, Snoopy and Smurf cards were two gigantic displays of Love Day-themed scrapbook embellishments. Two gigantic displays of overpriced Love Day-themed embellishments. Personally, I don’t craft more than two Valentine’s Day-themed layouts per year, so my wallet is not screaming out in pain after coughing up the … Continue reading →

Preschool Etiquette: Proper Introductions

The first lesson in preschool etiquette is the proper introduction. Children can be shy so often they have a hard time saying “hello” or talking to new people. Often they appear shy even when seeing the same person a few times before they learn to be bold enough to say hello. It is okay for a child to be shy with new people. In fact, it is best if they are leery of people they do not know. Yet, we also want to teach our children to be friendly and introduce themselves or answer questions properly. Teaching the Proper Introduction … Continue reading →

Carve a Disney Pumpkin

As I’ve always said I’m not a very crafty person. When it comes to fall activities I’d far rather focus on the eating: candy/caramel apples, apple pie, pumpkin pie, apple cider, and more. Give me the guts left over from a pumpkin carving session, I’ll roast up the seeds and put them in cranberry sauce, or apply the pumpkin innards to a pie or a chocolate chip pumpkin cake. For the more artistic types, however, or at least for those who enjoy crafts more than I do, this month/season gives the once-a-year opportunity for one unique craft: pumpkin carving. Those … Continue reading →

Designing for Fido or Fifi

My daughter still has dreams of becoming a dog, which is precisely why I try to keep her out of our local scrapbook store during National Pet Month. Each May the shop’s owner devotes an entire display table to showcasing memory albums dedicated to the Fidos and Fifis of the world. One look in the books and my daughter would be howling about how she is the only child in the world who doesn’t own a dog. Fortunately, for those of you who do have a dog, cat or gerbil to care for, designing a family pet memory album is … Continue reading →

Club Penguin

In 2007 Disney bought out a website called Club Penguin. The site had been gaining popularity as a popular online destination for kids, so of course Disney couldn’t resist that siren’s call. Club Penguin is a MMORG, or “massive multiplayer online role-playing game,” for children. Users play online with others from around the world, controlling characters they design themselves. Because Club Penguin is meant for children between the ages of 6 and 14, large emphasis has been placed on keeping the game safe. The creators of Club Penguin have taken several measures to keep children safe in an online community … Continue reading →

Snowed in With Kids

Christmas 2010 will be a white one for millions of parents across the upper Midwest. For me, it’ll be red and white. All the white has me seeing red. This weekend, more than a foot of snow fell on the Wisconsin city we call home. In addition to the five-foot tall snow drifts, we are dealing with wind chills in the -25 to -35 range, and subsequent school closings triggered by the inhumane conditions. For kids, a snow day is cause for celebration; for parents, not so much. Personally, I’m not a huge hater of the snow day, if it … Continue reading →

Have a Merry Minted Christmas

I don’t drink, but walking into Target or Wal-Mart right now makes me want to run home and pour myself a boot of something stronger than beer. Tis the season for breakouts and breakdowns. Seriously. Have you been to the mall recently? Retailers have dumped their Halloween costumes and candy; bypassed Thanksgiving paraphernalia; and are shoving Santa down customers’ collective throats. Fa-la-la-la. We’re not even 85 hours into November and I already feel my inner Christmas Grinch bubbling up from the bowels of my being. How can I feel so behind on Christmas preparations when I still have buckets of … Continue reading →

PETCO Has a Halloween Costume Contest For Pets

Does your pet have a vibrant personality? Does it seem like your pet has as much fun dressing up in a Halloween costume as you do seeing him or her wearing it? If so, you should enter your pet in the PETCO costume contest. There are over $1,000 in prizes, just waiting to be won! For many people, Halloween is a fun holiday. Pet owners can dress up their pets in cute, scary, or downright amusing costumes, just for fun. Of course, it is helpful if your dog or cat happens to like wearing “clothing”. I can’t quite decide what … Continue reading →