Whether or not to get our older daughter a cell phone has been has been a hot issue over the last year in our house. Our oldest is not as big of a trend follower (unlike our youngest daughter) so the fact that other kids her age were getting cell phones did not really sway her to want a phone.

With our older daughter, the decision to get a cell phone was more a matter of:

• Convenience (communication

… Read More

This summer my kids are obsessed with Pirates. We've seen the new "Pirates-3" movie two times so far this summer and we'll probably see it more. Our family loves Jack Sparrow (and of course, Orlando Bloom). As a mom, I like it that the female lead in the series, the Elizabeth character is so bold and independent. She doesn't wait for the guys to rescue her, she grabs her sword and gets in the middle of the fight. In honor… Read More

Summer is the best time to catch up on your magazine reading.

Here are some of my favorite magazines to read by the pool. Add in your favorite cold beverage and enjoy.

Ty Pennington at Home magazine
Ty Pennington, the wild man on ABC's Extreme Makeover: Home Edition has a magazine. I love Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. I love the concept, love all the good they do and Ty Pennington makes… Read More

I am a big magazine reader but in the summer my magazine reading takes off.

Here are some of my favorite magazines to read by the pool. Add in your favorite cold beverage and enjoy.

Dwell magazine
I love modern design and modern architecture. Only I didn't realize it until a few years ago. I stumbled on to Dwell magazine a couple of years ago. I don't live in a modern designed home now… Read More

I am Mac Tech geeky kind of mom. I know enough technical stuff to be dangerous and I am pretty well informed (for an OLD PERSON) about online teen habits, teens use of social media and the web.

I thought I was hip to this new age of parenting kids that "IM" and have MY SPACE. It turns out, I was wrong. There is a lot of information that I did not know or did not have all… Read More

When I'm not screaming at my kids to pick up their messes or nagging them about their chores, I am a pretty good mother.

Summer is always tough because the girls usually have the mistaken idea at the start of the summer that I am there to provide them with the following:

• Maid Service-24/7
• Event and fun coordination
• Animal care
• Limo service to and from fun events

My husband asked me if the summer bootcamp had begun yet. It… Read More