He Said, She Said – Let’s Meet Matt!

Good morning, everyone! Today I’m excited to announce that we’re kicking off a new series here in Marriage. My husband, Matt Pinkston, is the new Fatherhood blogger, and he’ll also be joining me one day a week here in Marriage for a “He Said, She Said” style of blog. We both have strong opinions and we both like to talk (a lot), so this will be a lot of fun for us, and we hope it will be fun and informative for you as well. Matt and I have been married for sixteen years, and together we have four children. … Continue reading

Positive Steps to Confront Stereotypes

In recent blogs I talked about anti-immigrant feeling in America today and whether it will have an unintended impact on our adopted children. I was thinking primarily of our Asian and Latino children, but a third-grader from Ethiopia was recently taunted in my neighborhood and told to go back to her country. In some parts of the U.S. the immigrant African population may be larger than the African-American population, so possibly more and more people will assume that African-heritage children are immigrants as well. And some of them are—Haiti and Liberia have been native countries of significant numbers of adopted … Continue reading

Learning about Education

There is no doubt about it: Education has changed. I’m currently in my 20th year of schooling and the differences between a Ph.D. program and kindergarten are astonishing. Long gone are the days of tactile exploration with toys and lessons about being kind. No one reads stories to me anymore and none of the books have pictures. The most shocking changes of all, of course, are a direct result of my ever increasing age (and hopefully wisdom). I now play the diametrically opposed role of teacher and student at the same time. I’ve observed a great deal about learning and … Continue reading

Home Month in Review: November 2008

Is your home ready for the holidays and winter? Now that November is over, it is time to gear up for the December ahead. Take a look at last months articles and see if there is anything you missed! November 1st Home Blog Month in Review: October As I sit here looking out my window at the backyard, the birds are hovering in the pine tree against a strong wind and steady rain. The temperature is chilly today, and the calendar reminds me that we have left October behind. November 2nd Fall and Holiday Decorating with Nature 2 Isn’t it … Continue reading

Frugal Month in Review: November 2008

November to be is the beginning of two things. The holiday season starts with Thanksgiving, and then there is winter. Despite the fact that winter doesn’t officially start until next month, the fall seems to give way to the winter in November anyway. We had a day of snow already. Here is looking ahead to December and the end of the year! November 1st Frugal Month in Review: October 2008 “Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.” – George Eliot. November 2 … Continue reading

Scrapbooking Week in Review for May 5-11, 2008

The weather has been somewhat more cooperative this week, but still we are plagued with rain that seems as if it won’t quit on some days. I am so tired of rain, yet have used the bad weather as an excuse to hang out with my kids, create more memories and overall spend some extra time scrapbooking. Here is what has been going on in the scrapbooking blog this week of May 5 – 11, 2008. How to Get Great Pictures The question is often asked, “How do I get great pictures?”. There is no need to be an expert … Continue reading

Scrapbooking Week in Review for April 28 – May 05, 2008

Is it raining in your world today? It seems as if the rain has increased, rather than let up. Isn’t the old saying “April Showers, Bring May Flowers.”? Take advantage of the continuing rain and spend some time scrapbooking and playing around with your supplies. Perhaps you could even spend some time organizing your stash, going through your albums, or even set up a fun portrait session with your kids. Here is what has been going on in the scrapbooking blog this week. Be sure and check out the new columns appearing in the scrapbooking blog that were introduced this … Continue reading

Introducing Technique Tuesday – a New Column on the Scrapbooking Blog

Scrapbooking has grown so much in the past five years, let alone the past ten years. As new products are introduced daily, and scrapbooker’s find new ways to use products and do different techniques, there is no end is sight to the endless possibilities available to the creative person. With the vast amount of scrapbooking information available in all sorts of locations, it can get overwhelming and difficult to learn. The problem is, it is scattered all over and it would be much easier to find it if it was all in one place. The Scrapbooking Blog here at families.com … Continue reading

Ask a Baby Blogger: Solve Our Sleeping Issues

Question: I have this problem with my one year old every night. I end up putting him in his crib and letting him cry for 5 to 10 minutes. After this I go in the room like I am the savior and pick him up. He has worn himself out so much from crying that he lays down on my chest and goes to sleep. There has to be a better way. Then his bed time is 10. I need to figure out a way to get him to become tired earlier and to help him go to sleep easier. … Continue reading

Scrapbooking Week in Review for January 28-February 4, 2008

I hope after the seemingly endless hustle and bustle of the holiday season, things are finally settling down for you. Hopefully you are able to steal away a few moments here and there to work on your layouts and get organized. Perhaps you could even learn some new techniques and try out some new products. What’s been going on around here lately? Let’s find out. Designing With Stamps On Your Scrapbook Layouts Have you ever found that you don’t have the right embellishment for a page, or perhaps your background isn’t to your liking? Maybe you have an idea in … Continue reading