Aloha! I am writing to you from sunny Hawaii. I am here with my boys, the grandparents and the cousins to watch my husband compete in the Hawaii Ironman this Saturday. What the heck is an Ironman? Well, it starts off with a 2.4-mile swim, next comes a 112-mile bike ride and it finishes with […]
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On the Field and Off
The start of school brings many new, exciting, and sometimes stressful changes for kids, including getting up early, daily homework, reconnecting with friends, and beginning fall sports. For those who play contact or collision sports, like football and soccer, this can be a time of great excitement and anxiety for parents as well. The concussion […]
Ask Dr. Gramma Karen: We Worry about Our Kids Visiting Homes Where There Are Firearms
My husband, two young children (ages two and four), and I are now living in a community in which gun ownership and NRA (National Rifle Association) memberships are commonplace. We moved from the East where guns were not as common. Growing up I knew that some families had guns, but I never saw them or […]
I Hate You And Other Fun Phrases
My child yells awful things at me when he is angry. Things like, “I hate you,” “You are the meanest,” “I am moving out.” (Really? You are 3!) What can I do?! It IS hard to have your kids say awful stuff to and about you, especially when you only have their best interests at […]
5 Tips for Planning Healthy Back-to-School Meals
School is back in session and your schedule has taken a turn toward busy. How do you help your family stay fueled for after school activities? The answer is simple: planning. The time you take to plan will help you stay organized and healthy even through the busy back to school season. One of the […]
BabyBjörn: 50 Years of Excellence!
*This is sponsored product review Part I: THE SKINNY (in other words, what’s the product being reviewed, why is it different and why should I consider buying it?) What is a BabyBjörn? According to Björn Jakobson, founder of BabyBjörn, “Carrying your newborn on your chest is like floating on a cloud.” And it is this […]
Feeling Younger
Here’s a little “re-enactment” of an incident that recently happened to me while shopping for vitamins (as many of you may recall, I recently turned 40, so keep that in mind while reading): Scene: Local health food Store. Main Character: Heather, feeling very youthful in her butt-lifting yoga pants, post work-out. Me: Hi. Can you […]
Five Sleep Tips for Those Troublesome Tots
Let’s face it, it’s not easy being a toddler. After all, they are busy acquiring language; they run, jump, and bounce boundlessly; and they make demands… lots of them! Not surprisingly, their batteries need recharging both day and night. Through age five, most toddlers require 12-14 hours of sleep daily and usually nap until they […]