Our Sisters: Parenting Special Needs Going Green Books

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Eat Your Veggies
Summer brings an abundance of delicious seasonal fruits and vegetables. Farmers’ markets have farm-grown vegetables that taste so much better than what has been stored and shipped across the country (or the world). Take this opportunity to encourage your kids to try out something new. In the summer months, my kids [...]

Imagine
I love to watch his mind work. He furrows his brow and paces. Often he talks to himself too.
His favorite imaginary game is fort building. After he constructs his stronghold, he creates detailed plots as he wages war from behind his walls of furniture and blankets.
But I have to admit, sometimes it gets a little [...]

Giftventure
Children who complain about all the homework and busyness of the school year schedule, are now likely to complain about being bored when they have a little down time this summer. My nine-year-old daughter Amanda loves to read, and that does help fill her days, but even in the books that she selects, she’s [...]
Play and Learn
I know that there’s some controversy about screen time–TV, video games, and computer–especially for preschoolers. That said, my children both watch educational TV (and if I’m being honest, since my second child is so much younger than his big sis, he also watches her nine-year-old non-nutritive TV as well).
They both love computer games, and [...]

Do You Want a New Lands’ End Swimsuit?
Summer is unofficially here.
But if the thought of dragging out your old swimsuit makes you long for wool sweaters and winter coats, then we have a contest for you — a $100 gift card to get yourself suited up in one of Lands’ End fabulous swimsuits.

Last year, we also ran a Lands’ End swimsuit giveaway, [...]

Win an Insignia MP3 Fitness Bundle
Looking for a great Father’s Day gift idea?
Once again, Best Buy is coming up with creative touches to turn cool technology into a thoughtful, fun gift.
This time around, they are offering an Insignia MP3 Fitness Bundle complete with Insignia 2GB MP3 player, armband, $10 Best Buy Digital Music Store download card, and water bottle. A [...]

Win a Chicco Smart Support Backpack
Can you tell Olivia is more than happy to take a ride in her Chicco Smart Support Backpack? The minute we slip her into it, she breaks out into smiles and kicks her little feet with excitement.
Since Olivia doesn’t like to miss out on anything, she is thrilled to be hoisted into the air [...]

Disney DVD Giveaways
The Disney channel has become the place to turn for tween and teen entertainment. In fact, if you have a tween along with a child who is much younger, they are probably up on these personalities as well, and I know many adults who are big fans of these shows as well.
If you’ve been [...]

5 Minutes for Books — The Host
I have been wanting to read Stephanie Meyer’s vampire trilogy (which begins with Twilight) for some time now. They were originally written for Young Adult readers, but have gained an adult following as well.
No, I’m not into vampires, nor did I think that I would be into alien parasitic life forms that have conquered [...]

I never know what to give my husband for
Father’s Day…
Our husbands have it easy. Moms are so easy to please… just give us a gift certificate to the local spa and you’re good to go.
But finding a good gift for a man can be tougher. With business casual dress taking over the office, the old fall back gift of a tie has lost its [...]

Victoria P. Zurcher Designs:
Hip, Fresh, Stylish, Original
If you spend much time talking with children, especially those in the three to eight-year-old range, as they are getting to know you and trying to figure out who you are, they will inevitably ask you, “What’s your favorite color?” Even if they don’t ever ask you about yours, they will certainly let you [...]
A Bib Like No Other
I have been through my share of bibs. Plastic, vinyl, terry cloth, and more. Some were stiff, bulky and uncomfortable, others too small and flimsy. Some tied up, some snapped and others used velcro. Some were good. But not one was perfect.
And then a brilliant mom, sent me her creation - DaBib - and my [...]

If you like to indulge in ice cream and whip cream too, have I got a post for you!
I like to eat well. I make good food choices – lots of veggies, whole grains, low-fat protein, etc. If you looked in my fridge, I think you would be pretty impressed.
And I do it all so that I can indulge on a somewhat regular basis – I want my cake and I [...]

Did you know that Julia Roberts composts?
I love it when celebrities use their powers for good.
On Earth Day, Oprah and Julia Roberts showed us how we can actually do something with the all that leftover food we inevitably have to toss out.
On the show, Julia said, “I [used to] just cry and scrape plates and think, ‘How can I be [...]

Send Your Kids Off In Personalized Style
Summer’s coming and that means camp fun! Whether it’s day camp, summer camp, sleep-overs, or just a picnic at the playground, when school is out, it’s time to pack up and have fun.
When you’re sending your kids out to play with a big group, personalized backpacks and lunch kits are not only extra special, they’re [...]

Veggie Puree Anyone?
Okay, this may be ’so-last-year’ but I’ve been happily riding the veggie puree bandwagon since Christmas day when Janice and I unknowingly both gifted each other a copy of Jessica Seinfeld’s now-famous cookbook.
Apparently I don’t watch enough Oprah and late night TV because not only did I miss last year’s famous Oprah interview with Jessica [...]

Little Girls (and big ones!) Love Bambina Ballerina
Anyone with little girls around the house knows how easily all those hair bows can get misplaced. But what’s the best way to store them? If you’re like us, we have so many that if I can’t readily see them, I forget they’re there.
Well, Bambina Ballerina has the answer. Why not display them on an [...]

The Water Horse DVD
I love to watch movies with my kids. Since going to the movie theater is so expensive, and because we’re lazy homebodies, we generally prefer to watch it on DVD. We pop some microwave popcorn, change into our pajamas, dim the lights, and we’re ready to go. These days you can even [...]

I have many domestic inadequacies…
I can’t iron, I loathe house cleaning and my laundry folding skills would have me fired from any retail shop — for proof look at my linen closet.
And I’m not craftsy. I know that’s not a word… but you know what I mean. I can’t sew, I don’t scrapbook, I don’t hand-make cards. (I leave [...]