When Ursula outgrew her crib, and then the conversion crib with only three sides, I decided to stretch the life of her very nice mattress further by turning it into a toddler bed (amazingly, she slept on this until recently, and she's six and a half). Even though I saw some nice ones, rather than buying a frame, I decided to save money and build my own for her. 

As a kid, I looked forward to summer all year long and though there were a few long, lazy days in between, the span between Memorial Day and Labor Day always seemed to fly by. Make the most of your summer with a Family Bucket List: fun ideas of things to see and do together this summer. Here are some tips:

She was a tad late, but spring is finally in full swing down in Charleston, and we are taking advantage of every opportunity to enjoy it outdoors. The sandbox has become a favorite hangout for my daughter, and I've learned a few tricks to make our sandy experiences a bit more enjoyable. Keeping three simple items nearby is the key to smart sand play.

We have a weekly Movie Night at our house. It's sacred, and it's the time when we make it a point to discover a new film we haven't seen yet, preferably something that's not mainstream.  

Okay, so I signed up to do this party-gig-bash for a bunch of three-year-olds in June, and now I have to deliver on the goods. Because who wants to anger a gaggle of toddlers in the heat of summer? Not me, that's who. 

Candace Jackson just wrote an interesting piece for the Wall Street Journal about luxury, over-the-top spaces for kids. It's tempting to focus on the money being spent on these elaborate bedrooms and "teen lounges," but what I find much more interesting is the reason many parents cite for creating these teen havens at home and how it may affect kids and the family dynamic. 

When it's time to let people know you've got a bun in the oven, what's the best way to do it? Recently we've seen a trend in photo announcements that get posted on blogs or Facebook pages to reveal to the world that a baby is on the way. 

When a friend told me he was considering planting two trees to celebrate the birth of his friends' new baby twins, I must admit I swooned. Birth-trees! Such a sweet idea, but there are a few things to consider...