Published October 2013: eHow Health Healthy and Happy Halloween: Kids and Food Allergies How to Keep Halloween Safe Versus Spooky Article Excerpt: Every Halloween, Elaine Taylor-Klaus’ living room turns into a trick-or-treating powerhouse when the Atlanta-based mother's children return from showing off their costumes and collecting treats from neighbors. “The kids all come back and… Continue reading Healthy and Happy Halloween: Kids and Food Allergies
Category: Magazine Writing
Transitioning Your Kids Back to School
After a summer of swimming parties, outdoor activities and lazy play days, it’s natural for your child to dread the return to a more structured school schedule. Transitioning back to school doesn’t have to be a struggle, though. Prepare your child for the changes the school year will bring by discussing expectations and arranging fun activities to build the excitement.
How to Keep Kids Sharp Over the Summer
Although kids often relish summer as a time of lazy days and fun in the sun, education doesn’t have to take a back seat to barbecues and swimming excursions. In fact, it shouldn’t, especially since research has shown that students lose several months' worth of knowledge during the summer, says Alexandra Mayzler, founder of Thinking Caps Group, a New York-based tutoring company. Educational activities are easy to incorporate into everyday summer activities so students remain sharp and ready for the return to school.
Unique Uses for Household Products
When searching for solutions to bug bites, frozen locks or tarnished furniture, you don't have to invest in expensive products. The answer to the problem is probably right in your cabinet. Get creative with everyday household products and discover unique uses for them, saving yourself a few bucks and a lot of time.
Produce Guide: How to Pick and Prep Fruits
Fresh fruit brings seasonal color and taste to any meal or snack—a succulent peach smacks of summertime; a juicy red apple brings with it the flavor of fall. Whether you're picking from your own garden, a local market or the grocery store, make sure you're picking and prepping the freshest, most delicious fruits with helpful hints from gardening experts.
Produce Guide: How to Pick and Prep Vegetables
When it comes to picking and prepping vegetables correctly, it’s important to know the growing method, signs of freshness and even proper color of your favorite veggies. Before mixing up that salad with greens, peppers, tomatoes and radishes, learn some harvesting clues—such as peak seasons of vegetables—to ensure your meal is fresh and clean.
Weighing the Options Between Adoption and Surrogacy
A bouncing baby boy or giggling toddler girl can bring love and life to a household. For childless couples hoping to have a family, adoption or surrogacy can be their best options. The process of starting a family this way can be immensely rewarding, but there are also many challenges. "One of the biggest things prospective parents should consider when seeking a child through adoption or surrogacy is that it's usually a very, very long process from start to finish," says Christina Steinorth, a California-based psychotherapist and author of Cue Cards for Life. "It could be 18 months before you have a child, but often it's much longer—sometimes two years or more—before you'll be able to bring your child home with you." It is best to prepare yourself for a long waiting period, as well as for the costs that each option entails. Make an honest evaluation of your family's needs. Once you determine that adoption or surrogacy is indeed the right course of action for everyone involved, prepare for the life-changing journey to come. The process can be lengthy and challenging, but Steinworth says it’s ultimately "worth the wait."
The 411 on Adoption
When Denise Buzy-Pucheu and her husband, Cary Correia, contemplated adopting a child, they were adamant about researching the options and ultimately decided upon an international adoption. Ten years later, the Connecticut-based couple has expanded the family to five with 10-year-olds Ethan and Isabella, adopted from Kazakhstan, and 8-year-old Aeryn Elisabeth, adopted from China. “I would say, first and foremost to the newcomer to adoption, to get all the information you can read,” Buzy-Pucheu says. If you are considering adoption, it’s important to know what it entails. You should know how to find an agency, what national and international options there are and detailed information about the child you hope to welcome into your family.
5 Inexpensive Spring Activities For the Family
The sound of birds chirping and children giggling outside is a definite sign that spring is here. It’s the perfect time to spring your family activities into action. “Outdoor family days include renewing bonds, showing your children the importance of physical activity and giving them a chance to use their creativity,” says Aeva Gaymon-Doomes, a child psychiatrist in Chevy Chase, Md. Springtime activities, though, don’t have to be hard on your bank balance. Keep your family active and your finances in shape with family activities perfect for your budget.
Move Over, Mom: Book Clubs for Kids
School may be out, but your kids don’t have to put the books down. Group reading and organized book clubs with friends and neighbors offers children and teens a way to have fun while still learning during the summer months. Jump-start a summer reading program with fun discussions, activities and games that will leave a lasting impression well into the school year.
Shannon Philpott-Sanders 