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Kid-Friendly Projects Fuel Winter Family Fun

Kid-Friendly Projects Fuel Winter Family Fun
Colder temperatures mean more indoor time, making it a challenge to find activities that will keep kids happy and engaged. The good news for parents is that even common household items can create hours of fun time. These child-friendly arts and crafts projects will...

A Hearty Helping of Holiday Flavor

A Hearty Helping of Holiday Flavor
Whether you’re a first time host or seasoned pro, there are certain secrets to help ensure a holiday meal that is both elegant and effortless. Keeping a few key ingredients on-hand, like Swanson chicken stock and broth, helps make preparing for the main meal a little...

I Love You, But… Please Don’t Embarrass Me….

I Love You, But… Please Don’t Embarrass Me….
by: Kim Green-Spangler Life with a tween/teenager around can be completely unbalancing. Though they are often unwilling to admit it, tweens/teenagers are simply bigger children with raging hormones, larger appetites and the seemingly ever-present know-it-all attitude....

The Phone is Devouring My Family

The Phone is Devouring My Family
I was 3 years old and living life pretty close to the floor when I discovered a mysterious cord. It came out of the wall near the baseboard and extended way up out of my line of sight, onto a kitchen countertop. Sitting on the Linoleum, I reached up, grabbed the cord...

Helping Kids Deal With ANGER.

Helping Kids Deal With ANGER.
Children today seem to have the weight of the world on their shoulders, or at least they seem to think they do. It’s not uncommon to walk down the street and see them dressed in black clothing from head to toe, hear them voicing their frustrations loudly to whomever...

Guest Response: Raising Girls

Guest Response: Raising Girls
In response to the “Raising Girls” Article in Oregon Family Newspaper, as a counselor, professor, woman, wife, and mother of a young girl, I just wanted to add some thoughts on the topic of Raising Girls in Today’s Society.  Our hope is that we raise our girls...

Trouble in Paradise

Trouble in Paradise
Back when our kids were little, after dinner we’d load them into a red wagon and stroll downtown along a riverside path, and buy ice-cream cones. I wouldn’t mind if my kids grew up thinking that all life is as idyllic as this, but sometimes seamy stuff intrudes and...
Nanny Connection Nanny Connection: Have a Safe Summer
Nanny Connection: Have a Safe Summer I am deathly afraid of the water and never learned to swim. I don’t want my kids to grow up the same way but I am also terrified for them to be near water. Please help! What a wonderful thing to be thinking about as summer approaches! You are not alone in your dilemma. Congratulations for not wanting to...
Feature Articles Kids and Caffeine
Kids and Caffeine Should children consume caffeine?  Do you know what products contain caffeine?  How much, if any, is an acceptable amount of caffeine for children to ingest?  Do you know the answers? Caffeine is both a naturally occurring and artificially made drug.  Caffeine stimulates the central nervous system which...
Recipes Chicken and Brown Rice Sloppy Joes
Chicken and Brown Rice Sloppy Joes Ingredients: 1 2-cup bag Uncle Ben’s Boil-In-Bag Whole Grain Brown Rice 1/2 tablespoon olive oil 1 pound ground chicken 1 cup onion, diced 1/4 cup green pepper, diced 1 clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 3/4 cup ketchup 2 tablespoons brown sugar 1 teaspoon...
Family Matters Signs Your Teen Might Be in Trouble
Signs Your Teen Might Be in Trouble Teenagers can behave in strange ways that often mystify adults. For some parents their teen’s moods or actions keep them up at night. The key is knowing how to recognize signs your teen may be in real trouble and not just experiencing normal difficulties of the age. Moreover, learning how to better...