Ways to Prevent Your Baby Monitor from Being Hacked

We are entering the very beginning of “the internet of things”. The simplest explanation of what that means is that there are now several appliances and electronics that are constantly connected to the internet through Wi-Fi. The purpose is to make life more convenient. Unfortunately, sometimes this interconnectedness can cause security issues. A family discovered this in a very unpleasant way when their nanny noticed that someone had hacked their baby monitor. A stranger was able to talk to, and see, the room the baby was in, the baby, and the nanny who was caring for the infant. How did … Continue reading

Debt and Marriage: How It is Tough to Love When You Owe

Many couples enter into a marriage with debt already in hand. Others accumulate debt together. Either way, nurturing a loving relationship can be hard when debt is hanging over your head. In fact, according to a study by Jeffrey Dew at Utah State University, couples who reported disagreeing about finance once a week were over 30 percent more likely to get divorced than couples who reported disagreeing about finances only a few times a month. Another inference can be made from this study: there is a whole lot of disagreement about money out there. Debt is a source of contention. … Continue reading

Don’t Let Your Finances Hold You Back from Your Dreams

Stuck in a rut? Want to embark on a new career, become a stay at home parent, go on a fabulous vacation, buy a new home? Whatever your dream for yourself and your family, don’t let financial trouble get in the way. You can fulfill your dream despite poor finances if you stay focused, have a plan and spend your energy on working toward your dream. The first step is really make your dream a real goal. Write it down, tell others about it, find a picture that represents your dream and paste it in a prominent place. Next, figure … Continue reading

Don’t Forget to Take Care of Yourself

As a mother it is natural to put our children’s needs above our own. While there is nothing wrong with this, it is important to remember to take care of your needs as well. Your kids need a healthy mommy to take care of them, which means like it or not, you can’t push your needs aside anymore. You have to take care of yourself, so you are still around to take care of them in the future. As a woman yearly exams are crucial. It doesn’t matter how old you are, how healthy you think you may be, there’s … Continue reading

Protecting Your Children from Online Scammers

We live in an age driven by technology. Children are more technologically advanced than ever before. My four year old is no exception. He can work an Ipad much better than I can. He knows how to get into all his favorite games, how to get to the Dinsey Channel, and just about anything else he sets his mind to. I think kids these days are just born that way. While technology can be an amazing educational tool for our children, it can also be a very dangerous place, as we all know. More and more predators are out there … Continue reading

Your Story is Not Over

My life has gone far from how I planned as a little girl. I always dreamed I’d marry a handsome man who was going to love and take care of our little family forever. Divorce was never in the cards. No one ever gets married thinking they’ll end up divorced, but it happens to a fair number of us regardless of what we planned. The night my ex-husband left I literally thought my life was over. I couldn’t imagine my life with anyone else. I had a child with this man. I didn’t know how I could possibly survive all … Continue reading

If You’re Grumpy and You Know It…Read a Book!

Logan has been pretty grumpy lately. I’m not really sure why, and frankly I’m not even sure if he knows why most of the time, but I’ve been a little concerned about it for a while. I noticed the change about a month or two ago and started looking for solutions to the problem. We talked about it often and most of the time I got very little response out of him. I knew something was bothering him, but he couldn’t seem to vocalize what it was. Instead he would hit, kick, scream, and throw things. I was at a … Continue reading

5 Free Family Activities You Can Do Today

Forget buying the latest video game or springing for a couple of hours at one of those indoor kids activity places. Instead, try one of the following free family activities that you can do today. Zero cost but lots of fun. 1. Go for a Hike…Literally Being outdoors in nature instantly calms you and raises your spirits. Studies have proven it over and over again. Plus kids really do thrive on fresh air and exercise. A hike, or even just a walk in the park, can be an activity that the whole family can enjoy. Plus, it is free. Bonus … Continue reading

Teaching Your Sons to Be Better Men

In a world where playing video games is more appealing than providing for a family or going to college it is especially important to teach our sons the value of working hard and growing up. While I intend to keep my son little forever, eventually the universe is going to combine against me and make him grow up. For some men, this doesn’t mean much. They are grown up but living in a child’s world. Believe it or not the number of men playing video games between the ages of 18 and 34 surpasses those between the ages of 13 … Continue reading

Learning Marriage from Your Parents

I was raised with somewhat progressive views on marriage.  It feels strange to even be typing that, and it’s certainly nothing I ever thought growing up.  I know that on the overall spectrum of views on marriage, the ideals with which I was raised would only be in the middle, and probably closer to the conservative side of the middle.  But it’s still so surprising to me how many people aren’t even that far. I’ve already shared my story about my college roommate.   The reason she and her boyfriend didn’t talk for years about division of labor in the household, … Continue reading