Search Results for: blog serving our families

Putting Your Preschooler to Work

Nothing makes preschoolers happier than helping their parents.  Studies show that young children are wired to get pleasure from pleasing their mom or dad.  So, instead of ignoring your four-year-old when he offers to help you make the beds, fold laundry or put away groceries, allow him to exercise his independence by lending a hand. In some cases, a preschooler’s attempt at helping is more of a hindrance to parents; however, with a little patience you can turn these heartfelt efforts into teachable moments. When my now 8-year-old daughter was a preschooler nothing delighted her more than being able to … Continue reading →

Fourth of July Fun for Less

Celebrating America’s birthday doesn’t have to send you to the poorhouse.  By opting to party at your own home this holiday, you can save money and still have fun.  To cut down on food and beverage costs, consider having a potluck and asking each guest to bring along a favorite dish to pass. Edible American Eagles Ingredients: One package of Oreos 1/2 cup white chocolate One dozen large marshmallows One cup of finely shredded coconut 12 cashews Black icing Directions: Melt the white chocolate in a bowl in the microwave. Spread the shredded coconut in an even layer on wax … Continue reading →

Preserving the Peace

Much like with marriage, to keep the peace between you and your children, it’s important to learn the fine art of picking battles.  The phrase may seem trite, but knowing how to correctly apply it to your family dynamic can make a huge difference in your quality of life. For example, my daughter struggled with sleep issues for a long time.  And by long time, I mean years… and years and years.  The kid would fight me at bedtime like a combat ninja.  The nightly battles were frustrating, exhausting and downright ugly.  It got so bad that I ended up … Continue reading →

Serving Others Despite A Busy Life

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I have been thinking a lot lately about serving others. At this stage in my life, it feels impossible to reach outside the needs of my own little family that demands so much, to others that might be in need. However, I believe that the Lord expects so much more of each of us. In the book, Daughters in My Kingdom, there is a quote by George Albert Smith that states, “Our eternal happiness will be in proportion to the way that we devote ourselves to helping others.” When you really think about that statement, it is hard not to … Continue reading →

How to Encourage Children to Give Back

Each child should learn the importance of giving back, a lesson that will stay with him or her for a lifetime. Giving our children the opportunity to build character and become excellent human beings is one of the responsibilities and the pleasures of being a parent. Not to take away from the importance of this lesson for our children in the future, encouraging children to give back also has the added bonus of eliminating much of the “gimmies” for us parents, right here and now. Did you know that kids are instinctual givers? They are proud to give of themselves, … Continue reading →

Louisiana Genealogy Resources

The motto of the state of Louisiana is “Union, Justice and Confidence”. Genealogists who want to gain a little confidence in their ability to discover more about their ancestors who lived in Louisiana will need some help with that goal. This blog has links to several Louisiana genealogy resources that you can use. Many of them are accessible for free! RootsWeb has a page full of links to Genealogy Resources on the Web. You can find links to information about Louisiana cemeteries, specific notable families in Louisiana, census records, and guides to other Louisiana databases. There are also links to … Continue reading →

Hawaii Genealogy Resources

Hawaii is “the Aloha state”. The word “aloha” can mean either hello or goodbye. Genealogists who are searching for their “ohana”, (their family), can use the following Hawaii genealogy resources to help them with their research. You might find ohana that you had no idea were part of your family tree. Say aloha! Ancestry.com has a page that is filled with links to all of their Hawaii genealogy collections of records. The majority of the collections are only accessible by people who have an Ancestry.com membership. Some are offered for free every once in a while. Return to this page … Continue reading →

Alabama Genealogy Resources

I’ve heard it said that many people never leave the state that they were born in. If this describes your ancestors, then it can be helpful to find genealogy resources that are specific to that state. Here are a bunch of genealogy resources for the state of Alabama. AlGenWeb is an outgrowth of a project called the Kentucky Comprehensive Genealogy Database Project. AlGenWeb provides a single entry point for all counties in Alabama where all the databases are cross-linked, indexed, and maintained by a coordinator. This is an excellent place to start your genealogy research about ancestors who come from … Continue reading →

Praise And Your Toddler

It’s tough work, being a parent. It seems like every other day, I read something that lets me know that I am doing something incorrectly as far as how I have been parenting my little boy. That’s okay, though, I am open to new ideas and to learning which things make sense for me and my family and which ideas are best left to other people and their own families. Today, I read some interesting information about how praising children can do them more harm than good. Until about an hour ago, I was generously doling out praise to Dylan … Continue reading →

How to Tell If Your Plants Are Drought Damaged

After the heat of the summer, you may feel like wilting. Chances are that your plants are feeling the same way. After all, it’s been very hot and very dry. As you move into the fall, you’ll need to take a look at your plants and evaluate them. Have they been permanently damaged by the drought? Is your plant stressed? Some plants go dormant during the summer months. Grass turns yellow or brown. Although it can be tempting to water these it, this is normal and if the fall brings moisture, grass will tend to recover. Plants can suffer from … Continue reading →