Recent blogs
View All Blogs »
80s Toys
July 28, 2010 By Amy PhelpsSomehow "Just a Thought" columnist and game reviewer Michael Erb and I got into a discussion of '80s toys, more specifically, toy robots. more »
Newest board posts
View All Posts »Favorite Family Activities
By aphelps - Feb 9 2010 9:34AMDon't forget sledding and building snowman when kids get a snow day off from school... more »
What's Your New Year's Resolution?
By aphelps - Jan 12 2010 4:20PMSince I'm cooking more, I'm going to make sure my kids get to help and not worry about the mes. more »
Online newspaper ads
View All »Events for your family
View All Months »Childbirth Education Class
September 4, 2010Parent poll
View All Polls »Monthly Features
View All »Tools for your summer survival kit
May 24, 2010 Summer can be the perfect time for over-scheduled children (and parents!) to take a breath, relax and enjoy the healthy benefits of unstructured play. Even the most self-directed child, though, can benefit from the host of recreational and learning experiences offered this summer on both sides of the Ohio River. For those inevitable moments when your child swears there’s “nothing to do” or when your schedule doesn’t allow time to plan and supervise your own family fun, here are a few local programs to check out. » Full Story
Healthy Kids
View All »Have a healthy summer
May 24, 2010 Ah, summer. The perfect season for our children to engage in those staple outdoor activities: bike riding, playing with friends and hanging out at the pool. » Full Story
Nutrition
View All »Don't Forget Snacks
May 24, 2010 Just as you would pack a healthy lunch for your child to take to school, you should also pack your child healthy snacks to take to camp. It is common for children to arrive at camp with bags full of soda and junk food. Many parents send this “comfort” food for fear their children won’t eat the food offered at camp. If your child’s summer camp allows campers to bring snacks (some have policies against this practice), pack healthy snacks that will give children energy throughout the day. Children are very active at camp, and the weather is typically very hot and dry. » Full Story
Strengthening Families
View All »Successful summer traveling
May 24, 2010 A road trip with school-age children requires planning and flexibility. It requires realistic expectations. It also requires good self-care for the parents or you’ll feel like you need your own vacation after the family vacation. To illustrate these points, let me tell you a story about my buddy, Chadd. » Full Story
Going Green
View All »New moms can go green
January 12, 2010 With the advent of the largest “going green” movement the Earth has ever seen, there are now more products for greening motherhood than ever before. When I had my first daughter almost 7 years ago, organic baby food did not grace the shelves of the grocery store, BPA free bottles were impossible to find and environmentally friendly disposable diapers did not exist. Suddenly, there are so many green options it has become so much easier to be a green mom. » Full Story
Just A Thought
View All »
Moms 2 Moms
View All »Summertime
May 24, 2010 No more days of school » Full Story
Special Parents
View All »Super Parent
May 24, 2010 Because of all the challenges we have had to overcome as special parents, we tend to think we have to always be “super-human” and “hero”-like. We have been trained instinctively, since we became a special parent to always be “on”— waiting for the next moment to pull out our superhero powers and save the day. I know firsthand living like this on a daily basis is very exhausting and the results affect our entire families. » Full Story
Book Reviews
View All »End summer with teen books - Web Extra!
July 28, 2010 Since I also write about kids/teen books monthly for The Parkersburg News & Sentinel, there are books that get mentioned there that don't here. I grabbed a few from my June and July columns that I thought needed an extra mention. » Full Story
Music Reviews
View All »Several new CDs for kids
May 24, 2010 Since vacation time is right around the corner, parents and kids may be taking long car (or plane) rides to their vacation destination. Listening to music may help pass the time, and here’s a few new releases that will keep kids happy and not drive parents crazy! » Full Story
Movie Reviews
View All »"Despicable Me" in 3-D - Web Extra!
July 28, 2010 Since our local theater now has 3D, the kids have been wanting to see a 3-D movie. And since those things aren't cheap, I convinced them to wait for a movie they really, REALLY wanted to see. And "Despicable Me" is the movie they've been waiting for since vague previews first appeared on other movies. They wanted to see it because Miranda Cosgrove of "iCarly" fame does a voice on it. I wanted to see it because, alright, Miranda Cosgrove of "iCarly" fame does a voice on it, but also so does Steve Carrell of "The Office" fame. » Full Story
Feeding Your Family
View All »Smoothies to beat the heat - Web Extra!
July 28, 2010 It's been so insanely hot lately, that cooking (beyond grilling) just doesn't sound like fun. So what's a girl to do? Get out the blender (or in my case borrow one) and make some smoothies! » Full Story
