Search Results for: northeast us families

Warming Hurts Ski Industry

What is it going to take for businesses to realize global warming is real?  What about a loss in profits? Americans love to ski and play in the snow.  And, it’s big business, bringing in an estimated $1.4 billion in state and local taxes and $1.7 billion in federal taxes alone.  But, lack of snow fall, perhaps due to global warming, has slowed the industry. A report done by two University of New Hampshire researchers for Protect Our Winters and the Natural Resources Defense Council shows that global warming is hurting ski resorts.  The study estimates the ski industry has … Continue reading →

Budget Busting Babies

Have you ever sat down and calculated how much money you’ve spent raising your child? Think about it; if you crunched the numbers from the moment you first discovered you were pregnant until today, the amount of cash you’ve likely dropped on your precious bundle of joy probably exceeds five figures. It’s no surprise that the cost associated with raising kids is a hot topic among parents. So much so that you can visit just about any baby-centric website these days and calculate how much a child will set you back financially. For example, Babycenter.com features a handy dandy calculator … Continue reading →

Northeast Fall Foliage Adventures

If you are looking for a unique way to view fall’s vibrant color show, but you can’t stomach zip lining over a forest or flying high in a hot air balloon, then consider a more relaxing alternative—-sailing. Seasonal sailings are red-hot this time of year, especially along the East Coast. The Connecticut River is home to a slew of cruise companies offering fall foliage voyages on New England’s longest river. The popular waterway flows from the northern tip of New Hampshire to the Long Island Sound; forms the border between New Hampshire and Vermont and passes through the center of … Continue reading →

Emergency Preparedness for Your Home Based Business

As Hurricane Irene continues on its path towards the Northeastern United States, everyone in its path is preparing themselves for the effects of the storm. Although Irene is likely to weaken and become a tropical storm before it reaches central Vermont where I live, most people have been taking precautions to secure their homes and acquire emergency supplies. The most likely effects that we will encounter here in the Green Mountain State are flooding in low-lying areas and very high winds that can knock down trees and power lines. At my house, we prepared by bringing all loose items from … Continue reading →

Homeschool Groups and Resources in Massachusetts

Involvement with other homeschoolers is very important to a family’s success in homeschooling. Joining a homeschool network or support group in your area will make a difference in your homeschooling journey. This installment is for Massachusetts. About Our Kids Home Learners (A-OK) is a Boston area group intent on forming new ones and strengthening old ones, both for kids and parents. Athol-Orange Homeschooling Group is an inclusive group serving Royalston, Warwick, New Salem, Phillipston, Templeton, Wendell, Gill, Erving, Gardner, Barre. Petersham Attleboro Area Homeschooling Group has Monthly parent meetings Park days, field trips, classes, book groups,and Cub Scouts/Boy Scouts. Belchertown … Continue reading →

Help Your Eyes Adjust to Bifocals

The day may come when the eye doctor switches you from regular glasses to bifocals (or trifocals) — especially if you have trouble seeing close up and things that are far away. For someone used to single-prescription glasses, the switch to bifocals can be disorienting. Eye doctors say that it may take anywhere from a few days to a few weeks to get used to multifocal lenses. You may need to re-visit the optometrist for adjustments — you’re dealing with two separate prescriptions living in one glasses frame. The measurements need to be more precise than traditional single-focus glasses. Here … Continue reading →

Why Parents Shouldn’t Feel Bad About Using Disposable Diapers

I’m sure this blog is not going to please all of you environmentally friendly parents who are staunch advocates of cloth diapers, but bear with me for a bit. No matter how bad they are for the planet this next story about disposable diapers has got to give pause to any parent (or any person for that matter) who values human life. True story: An 18-month-old boy is alive today because he was wearing a disposable diaper when he fell from a third-floor apartment window. According to news reports, the toddler climbed onto a sofa and crawled out of an … Continue reading →

Thanksgiving in Massachusetts

Traditionally, when a child takes off for college you expect him or her to return home during breaks to spend the holidays with family and friends. That’s not the case with my former colleague. I ran into Dan and his wife this afternoon at the grocery store and learned that they will be flying east in a couple of days to meet up with their daughter at her school. (Hence, the missing turkey in their shopping cart.) Dan, his wife, and two sons are heading to Massachusetts’ Pioneer Valley for Thanksgiving. The scenic section of New England is located about … Continue reading →

National Parks in the Northeast

I’ve written several blogs about the incredible beauty found at the many national parks that line the West Coast of the United States. However, as I look back it appears I may have neglected the equally breathtaking parks located on the eastern portion of the country. One of the most popular national parks in the northeast spans nearly 50,000 acres along the central coast of Maine. Acadia National Park covers a huge expanses of ground from the coastline to the mountains. Visitors can travel from the rocky coastline, which gives way to cobblestone beaches before ascending to the rugged mountains … Continue reading →

Houston’s Must-See Museums

My friend and former colleague recently accepted a job at the number news station in Houston, Texas. At her going away party I asked her what she was most looking forward to doing when she got to her new home. “Visit the museums,” she replied excitedly. Visit the museums? What was she thinking? I bit my tongue and smiled. It was either smile or… grab her shoulders, shake her, and demand to know why, after six long years living in the frozen tundra of northeast Wisconsin, would she not be dying to explore the nearest park, pool, or pond? I’m … Continue reading →