Earlier this month a Wall Street Journal article profiled several families who are borrowing business models to optimize their households. If the idea of domestic CEO squicks you out a little then you are not alone, but the families in question have implemented a particular planning approach known as agile development. The agile method rejects top-down management in favor of flexibility, iterative processes, and ongoing communication. More

Throwing a party can be stressful at the best of times. Add 15 cake-smooshing, diaper-wearing, toy-throwing guests into the mix and you might be just about ready for a long winter's hibernation! However, there are some strategies you can adopt to reduce the crazy factor. More

Earlier this week, we talked about letting your younger kids help, but sometimes it's difficult to come up with ways to let them work alongside you. Here are some ideas spanning lots of different areas of housework to help you, help them… help you. More

Just because it's not Thanksgiving anymore doesn't mean we should forget about trying to model being grateful to our children. That's why my husband and I have started using these bucket fillers. Our kids saw us using them and have since been "playing at being kind". More

Sometimes I need to give myself a gentle reminder— if I have the time, I need to find the patience to let my kids help me when they ask. It sounds like a no-brainer, but admit it — if you're a parent, you've probably suffered from "it'd be so much easier if I could just do it myself… " Whether it's loading the dishwasher, sweeping the floor, or preparing lunch, our kids present us with a wonderful opportunity for teaching and bonding when they ask, "Can I help?" More

If you're looking to keep your family safer in 2013, your state legislature may be working to make it a little easier for you. Safer States, a national group of coalitions working to reduce toxic chemicals in our country, reports that twenty-six states (shown above in orange) are considering legislation that would affect the use of chemicals like BPA and toxic flame retardants. Is your state on the list? More

There comes a time for many of us when we have to watch over those that once watched over us. It's a stage of life you may be familiar with, and one I know I'll be entering into myself soon. So it was a pleasant surprise to see the Philips Lifeline GoSafe unveiled at this year's CES. It's an advanced monitor and emergency response system that can give you peace of mind that your aging parents are safe, while giving them the freedom to live independently. More

This morning was another of those daily struggles: daddy running late, little girl with absolutely no interest in rushing, or even finding her boots, and mom with no idea if they had everything they needed for the day when they ran out the door. Solving things in the morning is not an option. More

January in Minnesota is the worst of the worst of winter. Sub-zero temperatures, snow, ice, and stir crazy kids and parents all over the place! I'm beginning to gather a list of winter-themed ideas to keep us occupied on those days when being cooped up doing the same old thing is just not an option anymore. More

According to USA Today, the average kid gets $3 per tooth under their pillow from the tooth fairy. Some parents give up to $20. Why, back in my day I was lucky to get a quarter! I also used to trudge three miles to school in my stockinged feet, lugging a burlap sack instead of a backpack. For a tooth fairy pillow, I used a lump of clay with a hole poked in it, just big enough for a tooth. More