My family is just recovering from the pneumonia we had over the holidays and, from what I've heard on the news, many others are as well. That sickness set us back for weeks. In order to avoid any further set backs, this is a great time to remind all of us of the importance of routine health practices that'll help us stay healthy. If you have a daily chore chart it’s a good idea to add some reminders for staying healthy. These are things most kids know already, but setting a good example at home will emphasize the importance of how staying healthy may lead to fewer colds and sicknesses this …

Besides spending too much money, there should be no guilt over the holidays, right? Release yourself from harboring any sort of inner guilt and soak in what some local mom's have to say about their guilty pleasure sweets this holiday season. We can't stop there, read on for your quide to guilty pleasure reads, a hot on-demand GNI list and guilty pleasures for yourself. After surveying Facebook mom’s about their guilty pleasures over the holidays almost everyone of them made a comment about somesort of edible treat! Here our local Real Mom’s Share their guilty pleasure sweets. Guilty Pleasure …

Halloween parties are underway, sweets are everywhere and, consequently, mom’s anxiety levels are rising! How do we deal with all the candy and hyped-up kids? Actually having a plan, or a set of rules in place prior to Halloween night will make for a more enjoyable Holiday (and fewer tummy-aches!) If you have young children sharing the tail of the Candy Witch, also known as the Switch Witch, is a brilliant idea. As the story goes, the Candy Witch sneaks in Halloween night (like the tooth fairy) and replaces the child’s candy with a toy. The child needs to leave one piece of candy on the …

What a topic, right? I mean, what mom doesn’t angst over this. I find more than ever parents are becoming creative about their work-life balance partly because they yearn for more quality time with their kids.  For moms, developing a balance is one of the first things we deal with when we become parents but the one thing I think I’ve learned is that nothing is ever permanent. If it isn’t working then make a change. Working Mother Magazine recently reported in their survey that 82% of moms feel happier since becoming parents and only 4% are less happy. They indicate that upping the happiness …

We are officially off and running with the new school year. Whew, that was tiring but it feels good now that everyone is transitioned into their new schedules. Now, looking ahead, I realize we have another holiday approaching and after that another and another. This is when the ball starts rolling and it doesn’t stop until we’re broke, tired and needing a workout. Above all, it moves so fast that I sometimes feel like I’m missing the meaning of the holidays. I know the kids learn a lot in their school programs, thankfully, but really I feel like I should have more traditions at home too? Just…

Bullying is top of mind among educators and, sadly, it is under the spotlight for not-so-good reasons. We can be proud that our school systems are taking action against bullying but really, we all know, it still can and will happen.  Obviously as parents we have no control when it comes to our child's day. They live it, but we can prepare them for when the time comes that they are caught in the claws of a bullying situation. I think when we were growing up this was called having “street smarts?” Well opening the lines of communication with your school-age kids will help prepare them and, more…

As back-to-school approaches, have your lunch box list ready! Kids are headed back any day now and we need to make sure they are alert and well fed during their learning day. A healthy school lunch that is packed appropriately will help them more than they even know.   This week Michelle Mix, Registered Dietitian and Nutrition Coordinator for Hannaford's Supermarket in Taunton, will give us some tips and tricks on packing a healthy school lunch. In Mix's role at Hannaford, she helps customers of the supermarket decipher labels and find the most nutritious options for their families by …

Just do it. Go into your bins, closets, drawers and unveil all those unused supplies from last year. Yes, back-to-school shopping does include shopping so save your money for items you don’t already own! This is the first step in the process, recycle, reuse and reorganized already existing supplies. Understanding what you already own will help when you draw up that shopping list. Take the school supply list along with the list of must-have’s for starting off the school year. Caolan Madden’s article, “Go to the Head of the Store” narrows down the list of clothing must-haves. The article …

With sessions of summer camp ending soon and still several weeks left of summer, moms have their work cut out for them! Surprise your kids with some out-of-the-box family fun!   10 Out-of-the-Box Family Fun Activities Outdoor family camp-out! Roast some marshmallows on the charcoal grill, pitch a tent and bring out the sleeping bags. If you’ve never gone camping this is a fun way sample the fun! Have a yard sale. This could take days to prepare for. Have everyone gather what you are planning to sell, tag the items, make the signs, and execute the sale! This is a great way to recycle your …

It's the planner in me that feels the need to do this feature. There's certainly plenty of summer left to continue having fun so lets make the most of it! At the same time, there are simple things we can do so the transition back to school won’t be such a shocker.  Staying up late, ice cream, goodies, friends, fun, games, movies, unlimited paradise! This is what summer's about! Come August, a slow transition from all of these habits to a more structured predictable schedule will help when school starts. Family TalkA family talk may be necessary to gear up for the upcoming school year. A new …

What is the ultimate part of the summer? For me, it happens to  include relaxing on the beach with my toes in the sand and feeling like I just can’t make myself get up from the beach chair to respond to, “mommy come in the water!” The best I can give is a swift response, “find some sea shells or have a race on the beach.” I continue to stay seated and open a People magazine. I enjoy a glass of wine and some chips. I am in heaven and I don’t want it to end. At the end of the day should I feel a tad bit guilty? I could have done more here. Well, I’ve decided, absolutely not!. I love hearing …

Is it me or is tending to the yard a never-ending cycle? I mean, as soon as it's done we need to do it all over again. Weeding, mowing, picking, watering, and feeding. Well this summer I decided that every week when I mow the lawn the kids need to come out with me and make themselves useful! Yes, I mow and I love it! After weeks of spending some solid time outside the kids actually love helping in the yard and feeling useful. A little bit of a positive attitude and not acting like the yard is “work” can go a long way. Well, that, along with making it fun and sometimes a bribe here and there …

Camp Stay-at-Home-Mom (SAHM) is something we all engage in at some point within our range of responsibilities as mom, right? Funny that no-one warned us about this when we started a family. If you are planning on taking some extra time with your kids this summer, this article will hopefully fuel you with some inspiration on how to richen and plan out your kids days over summer break. The idea to cover this topic came to me because I recently overheard moms at my kids preschool saying that they are keeping the kids home this summer and saving the cash they would have spent on a day camp.  …

Looking to fill your days? Well, it is amazing how many free opportunities there are at our finger tips. As we continue to seek out fun things to do to keep everyone busy this summer, here is a short list what is going on.  Free Fun Fridays invites Massachusetts residents to visit museums for free every Friday of the summer. Includes the Museum of Science Friday, July 15 and the Boston Children’s Museum on July 29. Visit http://www.highlandstreet.org/ for the full calendar. Summer Sensation at Patriot Place offers free family activities every day of the week this summer. Art & crafts, tattoos…

Around town and on the playground everyone is asking, “what are your plans for the summer?” Many families do plan to get away in one way or another but it always takes a lot of  "work" on our part before the vacation part of our vacation begins. Is all this organizing and planning really worth it? Yes, of course it is! We all need a break from the regular routines of our lives. The best thing we can do as we approach vacation is to be overly prepared to keep everyone in the car happy. I realize this is not something new for you moms, so let’s get to it. Have your trip kits organized and road …

As we approach the holiday weekend, I’ve decided to stick with the theme of summer safety tips. I hope this month isn't turning out to be tip sheet overkill and you are gaining benefit from my research. Just knowing that safety is tops on every mother’s list, I think this is all very relevant. Over the last two weeks I focused on sun safety and bicycle safety. This week’s water safety tips come at a time when many of us are planning to attend July 4th parties, go to the beach or pools with friends and maybe even go boating or to a lake. This is not to take the fun out of our social plans, but…

As a child, some of my favorite memories were riding bikes down the Cape Cod Rail Trail with my parents, aunts, uncles and cousins. We’d ride to the half way point in the trail where we could indulge in an ice cream before turning around and heading all the way back. We spent hours riding and I have such vivid memories of my baby cousin riding his mini bike tagging along in the back. He was only 4! Bike rides built wonderful memories with my family and contributed to the foundation for me to draw upon for my own family.  Biking together is a wonderful way to get exercise, fresh air and spend …

Don't we all love Laurie Berkner's Music? Well, one particular song "Under a Shady Tree"  has a great message. Enjoying a glorious day filled day of activity at the park or beach under the shady tree. She gets kids to sing it and become aware of the given message to stay under the shady spot. As parents we always need to be mindful of what is safe for our kids and just how much sun is ok for them. For years I have loved sitting in the sun. Well, now I see the sun spots and wrinkles and I understand the damage that’s been done. For my families sake it is time to purchase a beach umbrella from …

This coming Founders Day Parade on Saturday, June 11 at 10am is loaded with kids looking to make a difference. The parade theme this year is “Salute Our Troops,” however, a special group of kids and moms at the Igo School are taking it to another level and collecting donations for our troops and for the local food pantry during this years parade.  Dedicated Mom and Float Committee Chair, Neda Joury-Penders, is organizing the Igo School float with the theme of “Igo Kids CAN Make a Difference.” The float committee has partnered with Chris Cyrfrom the PAVE program at the High School to collect …

Whether you have a mobile device or not this is an interesting topic for everyone. At some point many of us will likely adopt one of these devices and it’s interesting to know that it’s another world out for tech moms. A study printed back in 2009 by TechCrunch.com revealed then that iPhone mom’s made up 29% of all iPhone users with that number expected to grow. Now years later, I look around the playground and I have to believe that those predictions are true. As I sit chatting with other moms during dance class almost every week in the corner sit a crowd of kids huddle around an iPhone, …