New Device May Give Epi-Pen Some Competition

Epi-Pen is a device that is used when a child or adult experiences anaphylaxis after encountering something that he or she is extremely allergic to. It is about the size of a large magic marker. Two brothers, who have food allergies, have created a device that could be competition for the makers of the Epi-Pen. An Epi-Pen is a device that can be used to auto-inject a specific amount of epinephrine into a person who is having a severe allergic reaction to something, and who is experiencing anaphylaxis as a result. Left untreated, a person could die from anaphylaxis in … Continue reading

The Whopping Family Cell Phone Bill

Cell phones as we know them are only a few decades old, and yet it is hard to think about living without them, despite the fact that humankind survived centuries without cell phones. It isn’t unusual these days to be spending $250 or more a month for your family cell phones. In some families, the cell phone expense may be the second highest monthly bill, after the mortgage or the rent. Doing without other things, from eating out to dental care (in some cases) in order to afford cell phones has become the norm. How did things get so crazy? … Continue reading

Pack Your Bag It’s Time To Go

If you are getting close to your delivery date, it is time to pack your bag for the trip of a lifetime. Before you drag out your suitcase and start tossing in your sunscreen and beach blanket, I should tell you that it’s a different kind of trip. That all important trip to the hospital (if you are planning to give birth at a hospital) where you will give birth to your baby. In the interest of full disclosure, I must say that with both pregnancies I did not pack my bag for the hospital until right before I left. … Continue reading

Phone Manners Matter

One of my biggest pet peeves is watching a young child beg for his mom or dad’s attention when said parent is talking on a cellphone, and then getting swatted away as though he were a pesky mosquito. Granted, most of the time I view these incidents, my daughter and I are at a park, restaurant or other public place, and I don’t know who is on the other end of the phone call. However, I still don’t think it is appropriate for the parent to walk away from his or her child, as though they weren’t related, just so … Continue reading

Ideas For Putting Together Your Family History

Part of genealogy research includes finding interesting stories from the history of your family. These types of stories are often handed down by “word of mouth”. It is important to save them before they are forgotten. Here are a few ideas on how to put together your family history before it disappears. There are plenty of good reasons why you should make some sort of record of your family history. Doing so preserves it for future generations. It is a way of making sure that those interesting stories, photos, and voices don’t get lost over time. The way you choose … Continue reading

Time for Cell Phone?

In this day and age it seems like everyone has a cell phone, children and teenagers alike. I recently was student teaching in a sixth grade class at a local elementary school. Nearly all of the children had cell phones, and most of them were much nicer than mine. Children as young as kindergarten are feeling pressure to get a cell phone and cell phone companies are responding to their plight. They even have cell phones designed for toddlers now in case of an emergency. Cell phone companies such as Firefly Mobile have cell phones designed specifically for children’s needs … Continue reading

Texting Your Child While in School

During a particularly difficult time for my daughter, she sent me a text one day from school. She needed to tell me something. I responded, she responded, I responded…it turned into a 20 minute “texting” conversation. All of this was while she was in a class. I felt a twinge of guilt. Should I really be texting my daughter while she is in school? I’m sure most parents would say no. But the circumstances wouldn’t allow me to say, “We’ll talk about it later.” The reality is that she may not have been ready to discuss what she was. Now … Continue reading

Get Your Motor Running

With experts estimating that a single gallon of regular unleaded gas will top $5 by Memorial Day weekend, many travelers are looking for ways to hit the road without breaking the bank. One group in particular is looking at the sky-high gas prices as a way to promote their passion. Motorcycle enthusiasts are revving up to make this spring and summer hog heaven for newbies. Around the country, motorcycle dealerships are offering open houses for people to get up close and personal with blinged out bikes that can get you to and from your favorite vacation destination without draining your … Continue reading

Mom’s On The Phone – Time to Cause Trouble

If you are a home – based professional who is also a stay at home parent, chances are that you sometimes have to take a business call when the children are present. It can be no small feat to keep your child or children safe, occupied, and content while you take even a short phone call. I take care of as many phone calls as I can during my two year old son’s nap time, but there are days when he does not nap and there are times when people call me and I must answer the phone. The following … Continue reading

Are Your Toys Safe?

We all want our children to be safe this year. We teach them to look both ways before crossing the street, we insist on them wearing a coat and gloves when they are out playing in the snow, but did you know that some of their toys could be a danger this year too? Most of us don’t think twice about checking consumer advocate reports when we are out doing our Christmas shopping. If it’s on the shelf it must be safe right? Wrong. This year’s consumer advocate report released a few weeks ago, stated that over a dozen toys … Continue reading