Koshik the Talking Elephant

Could our next best friend be an elephant?  Maybe not for most of us here stateside, where we’re not exactly equipped to properly look after pachyderms.  But the news out of a zoo in South Korea, reported by BBC News, shows that an elephant has entered the next stage of the human-animal bond: talking. Before now, the only animals we could conceive of really being able to replicate our speech were parrots.  Now elephants are joining the list.  Koshik is a 12-year-old Asian elephant that lives at a zoo in South Korea.  When he started making sounds that his keepers thought … Continue reading

Insurance Podcast Roundup – Week of July 9, 2012

Once a week, the Insurance Podcast Roundup brings you brand new episodes of podcasts that discuss topics related to insurance. This is an easy way to keep up to date with the changes to insurance that could affect the policies that protect your family. NPR released an episode of “Morning Edition” on June 29, 2012. This episode is called “Health Care Ruling Is A Mixed Bag For Insurers”. Host Linda Wertheimer and Host Renee Montagne speak with Karen Ignani. She is the president and CEO of American’s Health Insurance Plans, or AHIP. They discuss the impact of the Supreme Court’s … Continue reading

Special Needs Podcast Roundup – Week of April 9, 2012

Once a week, the Special Needs Podcast Roundup brings you brand new episodes of podcasts that discuss issues and topics that are relevant to parents of children that have special needs. These episodes could range from autism, to allergies, from special education to health insurance issues that affect families that have a child who has special needs. The Parent’s Journal has an episode that was released on April 9, 2012. The episode topic is: “Books to Help Preschoolers Who Worry”. It features Jacqueline Golding, who is a psychologist, and the author of “Healing Stories”. Special Chronicles released episode 34 on … Continue reading

Insurance Podcast Roundup – Week of January 23, 2012

Each and every week, you can check out the Insurance Podcast Roundup in order to find brand new episodes of podcasts that discuss insurance related topics. This is a good way to stay informed about any new changes that could affect your insurance policies. NPR has an episode of “All Things Considered” that was released on January 20, 2012. This episode is called “Administration Stands Firm on Birth Control Coverage”. This episode mentions that the Obama administration did not back down to a lobbying effort by the Catholic Church, in regards to the requirement that all health insurance plans must … Continue reading

Deals on Last Minute Stocking Stuffers

Christmas is just a few days away. Have you finished all your shopping? There will always be some people who choose to wait until “the last minute” before heading to the stores. Many of the rest of us will be looking for just a few more stocking stuffers to add to the gifts that have already been purchased. Here are some excellent deals on last minute stocking stuffers. Staples has a printable coupon that will save you 50% off all Crayola products. This coupon is valid through December 24, 2011. What little kid wouldn’t love a fresh, new, box of … Continue reading

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

Special Needs Podcast Roundup – Week of July 12, 2011

There are so many resources out there for parents who have children with special needs. Podcasts are an often overlooked source of information. This week’s Special Needs Podcast Roundup includes: author interviews, a glimpse into the life of a family with nine adopted special needs children, a conversation about stem cells, a parenting course, a lunch chat about a resource center, and more. The Parenting Plate Podcast released an episode on June 7, 2011. This episode has an interview with Jolene Philo, author of the book “Different Dream Parenting: A Practical Guild to Raising a Child with Special Needs”. The … Continue reading

Need Some Parenting Help? Try S-O-S!

Every parent needs a little extra support, advice, or understanding from time to time. Parents who have children who have special needs may need that kind of help a little more often. There is a website called S-O-S that is an online special needs information guide that can be used by parents. Stage One of their program is being offered for free right now. There are many benefits to going online in order to get support for something. Online support is available whenever you need it, no matter what time of day or night it happens to be. You can … Continue reading

What to Do When You Can’t Afford Preschool

If you find yourself in a situation where preschool is out of reach financially, what do you do? Is your child doomed to fall behind before she even reaches Kindergarten? Will he grow up to be unsocial and labeled slow if he doesn’t attend the best early learning program? Research does show that early childhood education in the form of a quality preschool program does give children an edge over those who do not attend. But with preschool costs soaring, not everyone has the option of sending their child to preschool. Before you panic, let’s review a few things. First, … Continue reading

Tristi’s Favorite Musicals

I grew up watching musicals. I love Doris Day, Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire – in fact, there are very few movie stars from Hollywood’s golden era that I don’t like. There’s just nothing like a man and woman gazing into each other’s eyes and then breaking into song. Some of my all-time favorite musicals are, in no particular order: “Oklahoma!” Who could forget Shirley Jones in her first role as shy and idealistic Laurie, caught up in her feelings for that rascally cowboy, Curly? “Show Boat” took on a tough topic – that of race discrimination – and brought us … Continue reading