recent posts

May 17, 2013

The Numbers Are In: Did Your State Make the Most or Least Polite List?

by The Chatterbox

Whoops! National Etiquette Week (May 13-18) ends tomorrow, and I didn't even realize it was happening.

more
May 6, 2013

Do You "Mouth Clean" Your Child's Pacifier? Read This!

by The Chatterbox

We've all been there — you're at the playground with your kids, with the older one happily playing and the younger one (amazingly) sitting quietly in the stroller, happily sucking on

more
April 30, 2013

One Mom's Solution to Her Kids' iPad Obsession

by The Chatterbox

You might have heard the news last week about the 4-year-old British girl who was labeled an "iPad addict" and received $20,000/month therapy for her "inconsolable" fits when the tablet was taken away. The story has sparked a lot of debate among parents: Was this little girl really addicted to the extent of needing professional help? How did her parents let it get out of hand? How much tablet/tech/screen time is too much?

more
April 12, 2013

How to Plant a Garden

by The Chatterbox

Does anyone out there have a garden? To make a long story short, I planted a garden once at my SO's beach house, and the house burned down 2 weeks later. Everyone got out fine, but the house was a total loss and needless to day, the garden didn't survive.

more
April 4, 2013

Why I'm Signing the Petition for Mattel to Make Black Barbie Party Supplies

by The Chatterbox

When it comes to planning a child's birthday party, moms know that there are, oh, about 10,000 themes to choose from (that's no exaggeration -- I searched for children's party plates on Amazon, and there were 9,096 results). But we also know that, of the overwhelming number of options, the *one* theme that matters on a child's special day is the one that she chooses based on her favorite toy/show/movie/thing at that point in her life.

more
March 25, 2013

AAP Releases Statement in Support of Gay Marriage

by The Chatterbox

Last week, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released a policy statement supporting marriage for same-sex couples. In the statement, the AAP states their stance that marriage, regardless of sexual orientation, is the best way to guarantee benefits and security for children. The AAP also supports full adoption and foster care rights for all parents, regardless of their orientation.

more
March 21, 2013

Should Women "Lean In" to Their Careers (and Lean Out of the Household)?

by The Chatterbox

Have you read about The Great and Powerful... Sheryl Sandberg? She's the Facebook exec who just released a book called Lean In, which aims to start a movement to help women advance their careers and reach the top tier in their business. She's a 43-year-old billionaire mother of two – just like me and you. Ha.

more
March 7, 2013

My Spring Cleaning Challenge: Make $400

by The Chatterbox

It's snowing outside but I have the spring cleaning itch. You know what would make spring cleaning way better? If we all made some money doing it. Sure, the satisfaction of sparkling surfaces and crisp linens and drapes is great. But what if you could make $100 per person in your household. Hmm... $400 for your family of four's spring break trip (or staycation) sounds pretty great, eh?

more
February 14, 2013

Common Vitamin Found to Reduce Autism Risk

by The Chatterbox

Autism affects one in 88 children in the United States, so it's no wonder parents are always looking for ways to reduce their child's risk of being diagnosed. A new Norwegian study has found that a common vitamin-- folic acid-- can help reduce an unborn child's risk of autism by nearly 40 percent when it is taken within the first few months of pregnancy.

more
Syndicate content