Save During Sales Tax Holidays

Back to school shopping can be very expensive, especially for families that have several children. Those lists of necessary school supplies from your children’s teachers always seems so long! One way to save money is to take advantage of the sales tax holidays in your state and do your back to school shopping for less money. Alabama Friday, August 2, 2013 – Sunday, August 4, 2013, at twelve midnight. Eligible items: certain school supplies, computers, and clothing. Arkansas Starting at 12:01 a.m. Saturday, August 3, 2013, and ending at 11:59 p.m. Sunday, August 4, 2013. Eligible items: certain school supplies, … Continue reading

Special Needs Podcast Roundup – Week of January 2, 2011

This is the very first Special Needs Podcast Roundup for 2012! Every week, parents of children who have special needs can check out the Roundup to find new episodes of podcasts that discuss topics on autism, medication issues, learning disabilities, allergies, mental disorders, physical disabilities, and more. Family Health has an episode that was released on December of 2011. This episode is called “Drug Shortages”. This episode gives information about the current prescription drug shortages in the United States, and a brief history of drug shortages. It talks about why they happen, and what can be done about it. Raising … Continue reading

Special Needs Podcast Roundup – Week of December 5, 2011

Every week, the Special Needs Podcast Roundup brings you brand new episodes of podcasts that discuss topics that are relevant to parents of kids who have special needs. This week, you can find advice about searching for health information online, information about celiac disease, and more! Family Health Radio posted an episode in December of 2011 called “Looking for health information on the web”. This episode discusses the benefits and disadvantages of the availability of health information that can be found online. It results in better informed patients, but, it also can cause people to feel anxiety over misinformation. Parents … Continue reading

My Personal Space – Houston, I Think I Found a Problem

Today I was supposed to show you my scrap room, and I actually could. I worked really hard to get things sorted, picked up and put away organized instead of just in a huge pile, or shoved in various drawers and other spots. The whole area is cleaner, brighter and definitely less cluttered. It actually looks great. Except for one problem. Those pesky wood mounted rubber stamps I bought at a local sale. I already had a huge stash that literally claim an entire Iris cart, and while someday I plan to unmount them because storage is just simpler that … Continue reading

A Passion for Rhodesians: An Interview with Author Maris Soule

I’m kicking myself for not getting my tail in gear and publishing this interview last week. Posting romance (and mystery) author Maris Soule’s interview on Valentine’s Day would have been mighty apropos. Ah well, I goofed. But…at least it’s still being posted in February, the month of love. That works. What does Maris love? (Besides writing.) Well, I’ll give you a hint. They’re often furry, four-legged, and what us other pet lovers love…our animals! Below she tells us about what kind of animals grace both her life and her work. Courtney Mroch: What kind of things do you write about? … Continue reading

Using Song Lyrics on Your Layouts

Having trouble finding the right words? Using some song lyrics on your scrapbook layouts is a great way to convey a feeling or emotion. Sometimes a song’s lyrics say it better than we can on our own. The best part of using lyrics in our journaling and on our pages, is the fact that there are so many different ways to do it. Titles Use the title of a famous song to title your scrapbook page. In some of the examples, I used titles from well-known songs as the title of my layout. You don’t even have to add any … Continue reading

Should You Let Your Special Needs Child…gulp…Date?

If you’re like me, this topic makes you say, “Yikes.” There’s something really nerve-wracking about the idea that our special needs child might someday date. This is especially true for parents of children with cognitive disabilities such as Down syndrome, autism spectrum disorders, and so forth. These children can be particularly vulnerable and it’s hard to imagine them handling any kind of romantic friendship, no matter how innocent. (Let’s face it, it’s not always pleasant picturing our neuro-typical kids dating either.) Here are some tips I would offer: Don’t panic. First, recognize that often times these special adolescents don’t even … Continue reading

Disorder of the Day (1)

Illnesses such as depression, ADHD, and anxiety and behavioral disorders are being diagnosed in increasing numbers throughout First-World countries. While there is little doubt that people are being more up-front about mental illness, is this trend a true reflection of what is really happening in the lives of everyday people? A concerning aspect in this upswing in the use of medication to “solve” these conditions, is the accompanying upswing in the profits of the pharmaceutical industry. While most people have always traditionally wanted a “magic bullet” to solve their health problems, in the area of mental health, the pharmaceutical industry … Continue reading