Effective Stepparenting – 5 Tips for a Lasting, Loving Relationship
Stepparenting can be a lonely road, but it doesn’t have to be. According to the U.S. Census, over 50 percent of U.S. families are remarried or re-coupled. Over 1,300 new, blended families form every day. Fifty percent of the 60 million children under the age of 13 are...
Different, Not Less – Autism Society Supports Children and Their Families
April is National Autism Awareness Month, so we asked Suzanne Potts, executive director of the Autism Society of Central Texas, to tell us more about the disorder and how it affects families. AF: What is autism? SP: Autism is a neurological, developmental disorder...
Cloth Diapers – Go Green with a Rainbow of Options
Gone are the days when all babies were wrapped in the same large cloth diaper with bulky pins that could easily poke or pinch a baby’s tender skin. The safer, built-in features and wide array of colors have made cloth diapers a cool accessory for a baby’s bottom. The...
Babysitting Exchanges- Your House or Mine?
You and your spouse finally agree on a movie you want to see. You find a free weekend night on your calendar. You call up your qualified, reliable, affordable babysitter. Wait…what? Qualified and reliable and affordable? If you’re anything like Lori Huffman, a mother...
Meditation Creates Harmony in Your Home and Beyond
My two daughters and I have a standard bedtime ritual consisting of jumping on the bed, a bedtime story and each singing her favorite song before she goes to sleep. On some nights there’s an additional step: my daughters hide under their comforters and I, pretending...
The Bullock Museum Tells the Story of Texas
by Sherida Mock March 2 is Texas Independence Day, commemorating the moment when Texas declared its independence from Mexico. Given that Austin is home to the state’s history museum, we asked Dr. Victoria Ramirez, director of the Bullock Texas State History...
Ten Years On, Brandon Medina Still Kicks It
by Sherida Mock This month, we put the spotlight on Brandon Medina, who graced the cover of our September 2005 issue. Turns out, Medina has never put down the soccer ball. He is one semester away from a bachelor’s degree in sports science and athletic training, and...
Is So-Called Kindergarten “Redshirting” a Good Idea?
Our local school districts are ramping up for kindergarten registration, and many parents will be deciding whether or not their child is ready for kindergarten. Some will choose to keep their child in preschool for another year, even though they are technically old...
5 Reasons to Choose Sleep-away Camp
When most people think about the benefits of sleep-away camp, they think of fun and friends—and with good reason. Where else can a child ride a horse, create a ceramics masterpiece and water ski, all in the same day? Camp is also a friend-making machine. My mother...
Calling All Room Moms: A Valentine’s Day Party Plan
Every February 14, thousands of students celebrate Valentine’s Day with a classroom party. They exchange Valentine’s cards, make a craft and play a few games. As a Room Mom, you might find it hard to come up with ideas that the kids have not seen before. If you are...
Fitness Is a State of Being
by Sherida Mock Joanne Blackerby started working in the fitness industry as an aerobics instructor to pick up a little extra spending money for college. That passion stayed with her over the years, as she undertook jobs, pursued a graduate degree in social work...
Start the New Year With an Emergency Fund
At least one study has shown that financial worries beat out to-do lists and work stress as reasons for losing sleep, but there’s one sure way to avoid sleepless nights: keeping enough money in the bank to cover not only your bills, but also emergencies that might...
