My Content: Hubs, Answers, and Forums
6Outer Space Bedroom Decorating Ideas
Creative ways to create an outer space or Star Wars themed bedroom.
0Supraglottoplasty Surgery for Laryngomalacia: What to Expect
Surgery is typically performed for severe laryngomalacia when sleep apnea or growth failure are present. What to expect when your child has a supraglottoplasty or epiglottopexy.
2FAQs About Childrens' Vision
Questions and answers about children's vision, including when a child should have a first eye exam and symptoms of vision problems in infants and children.
8Sweat Test for Cystic Fibrosis
The sweat chloride test for Cystic Fibrosis measures chloride ions in an individual's sweat - a positive result indicates the presence of Cystic Fibrosis..
6Tonsillectomy Recovery in Children
While tonsillectomies are relatively common, the recovery is grueling and longer than many parents expect it to be. What to expect after a tonsillectomy in children.
16Earliest Blooming Spring Bulbs
What bulbs bloom first in spring? Find the best, early blooming spring bulbs to pack a punch of color in the garden as the snow begins to melt.
6Rabies in Humans: Symptoms and Treatment
Rabies is found throughout the world, caused by lyssavirus that is transmitted through bite wounds. The disease is now treatable, though the success rates vary immensely.
48Supervolcanoes Around the World
Where are the world's supervolcanoes? The Western United States, Italy, New Zealand, and Asia all contain volcanoes capable of catastrophic eruptions.
14The Best Space Books for Kids
The best, most up-to-date books about planets and space for children in the elementary school age range.
2Best Exercises During Pregnancy
Discover the best, safe exercises during pregnancy to keep your body healthy.
16What is Sleep Architecture?
Sleep architecture is the amount of time spent in each sleep cycle. Abnormal architecture may be caused by sleep disordered breathing, periodic leg movements, or other sleep disorders.
6Huffy Green Machine Bike Reviews
The Green Machine Big Wheel is a bike that allows for spins and slides, and offers a great deal of fun for kids (and even adults)!
16How to Get Your Children to School on Time
Chronic lateness is a problem experienced by many families - learn how to get your children ready for school on time, every time!
16How to Make Homemade Carpet Cleaner
Treat your carpet stains with simple and inexpensive homemade carpet cleaning solutions.
6Tips for Preventing Heartburn During Pregnancy
Prevent heartburn in pregnancy by avoiding fatty foods, caffeine, and elevating the head of your bed. Ginger and calcium carbonate (Tums) are effective at alleviating acid reflux symptoms!
2The Best Ovulation Predictor Kits
Pink dye ovulation testing kits, digital kits, and a fertility monitor system are available to help women pinpoint ovulation. Learn about the pros and cons of each testing system.
14Pink Lakes Around the World
There are several pink lakes around the globe, caused by a high level of salinity and the growth of archaea that produce a rosy color to the water.
4Immunizations for Infants and Toddlers
What vaccinations are recommended for babies and young children now? Hepatitis A and Rotavirus are important new additions to the vaccination schedule.
14Video How to Make a Salt-Dough Volcano
Make a baking soda volcano in this classic science project for kids.
2Tubal Pregnancy and Ectopic hCG Levels
Slow rising hCG levels may indicate an ectopic pregnancy. Normal pregnancies should demonstrate a hormone doubling time of 48-72 hours.
12Video Holiday White Fudge Recipe
This easy white fudge does not require a candy thermometer - perfect for an easy holiday treat!
18Video How to Make a Cookie Cutter Bird Feeder
Create a shaped bird feeder by using cookie cutters, bird seed, and gelatin. This fun craft teaches children about nature and will attract birds to your yard.
2What to Expect in the 11th Week of Pregnancy
Many women experience a reduction in nausea and an increase in energy in the 11th week of pregnancy. The first trimester screening test will be offered sometime between 11-13 weeks of pregnancy.
0What to Expect in the 10th Week of Pregnancy
The baby is no longer an embryo in the 10th week of pregnancy. With most of the organ systems in place, the baby is now termed a "fetus." The 10th week of pregnancy is a busy time for both mom and baby!
14Video How to Make Fresh Pumpkin Puree
Make a pumpkin pie from scratch: this video recipe demonstrates how to make puree from fresh pumpkins.
12Sea World, San Diego: Show and Attraction Review
A review of the Sea World resort in San Diego, with pictures and descriptions of the rides, shows, and other attractions in the park.
10Legoland California Review
Legoland California is a great amusement park designed for families with children under the age of 12. A review of the theme park rides and attractions.
20Things to Do in Washington, DC with Kids
Washington, D.C. is a fantastic city to visit with children. Take the metro and discover the best Smithsonian museums, monuments, and other kid-friendly attractions in our nation's capital.
2What to Expect in the 9th Week of Pregnancy
At nine weeks of pregnancy, baby is about the size of a grape or an olive. The baby is moving constantly, though these movements cannot be felt yet, as the baby is too small to generate a lot of force with those kicks!
2What to Expect in the 8th Week of Pregnancy
At 8 weeks of pregnancy, morning sickness, heartburn, and other symptoms are often present. The embryo begins to form a facial profile and fingers and toes start to appear!
2What to Expect in the 7th Week of Pregnancy
What happens in the seventh week of pregnancy? Pregnancy symptoms like nausea become more pronounced during this week. The baby is developing many different organ systems, including eyelids and hands!
2What to Expect in the 6th Week of Pregnancy
The sixth week of pregnancy is an exciting one: the baby's umbilical cord starts to develop and the heart starts to beat! Many women have their first doctor's appointment at this stage of pregnancy.
7What to Expect in the 5th Week of Pregnancy
What happens during the fifth week of pregnancy? The spherical bundle of cells undergoes a radical transformation in the fifth week of pregnancy, developing the three layers that will create all of the baby's organs.
10How to Conceive: Natural Fertility Aids
There are many natural treatments for fertility, including Vitex, soy isoflavones, and maca root. Learn about the common dosages used by women trying to conceive!
8What to Expect in the 4th Week of Pregnancy
Congratulations! At four weeks of pregnancy, most new mothers are just discovering they are pregnant with a home pregnancy test. What to expect in this week of pregnancy.
30Using Cardboard Tubes for Toddler Toys
Recycle toilet paper rolls into binoculars, a kazoo, race tracks, marble runs, and other fun toys for toddlers. These inexpensive crafts will inspire a lot of imaginative play!
23How to Roast Sunflower Seeds
It is easy to grow your own sunflower seeds. Home grown seeds are organic, and sunflower seeds are an extremely healthy snack that can lower blood pressure and reduce inflammation in the body. How to harvest and roast sunflower seeds.
15How to Reduce a Child's Fever
Fevers are a body's natural method for fighting of viral or bacterial infections. Sometimes, however, it is necessary to lower a fever - a combination of fever reducing medications and natural fever reducers may be used to comfort a sick child.
2Miscarriage and Pregnancy Loss
Miscarriage is a surprisingly frequent occurrence in early pregnancy. Learn the signs of a threatened miscarriage - and the chances of having a healthy pregnancy after a loss.
14Spotting - Questions and Answers on Pregnancy Spotting
Spotting in pregnancy occurs in up to 1/3 of all pregnant women. What is normal,and what implies a problem with the pregnancy? Does spotting mean a miscarriage will occur? Questions and answers about bleeding in early pregnancy.
8The Most Accurate Pregnancy Tests
The most accurate pregnancy test is a quantitative blood test, ordered by your doctor. Home urine tests are increasingly sensitive to low levels of hCG, and some may detect pregnancy as early as six days before a missed menstrual cycle.
4What to Expect in the 39th Week of Pregnancy
Get ready for baby - 39 weeks of pregnancy is the last week until your official due date. Your baby is full-term and gaining weight, while you become more uncomfortable!
16Delayed Gastric Emptying in Children: Our Family's Experience
Delayed gastric emptying, or gastroparesis, causes bloating and a feeling of being "full," even when a small amount of food is consumed. The disorder ranges in severity and can be extremely debilitating for children.
8Video English Muffin Recipe
This easy English muffin recipe makes a delightful breakfast staple. With only seven ingredients, this bread recipe is easy to prepare and will be loved by everyone!
16What Do You Need for a New Baby?
What do you really need for your newborn baby? There are many products on the market, many of which you'll never use. A checklist of items you will need before you bring your baby home!
10What Causes Morning Sickness?
What is the reason behind morning sickness? The extreme nausea felt in early pregnancy has a purpose: to protect the fragile, developing embryo from environmental toxins.
4von Willebrand's Disease in Dogs
von Willebrand's Disease is the most common clotting disorder in dogs. There are three types of the disorder. The first type of vWD is the most common, and the mildest, of the disorders.
54Fall Garden Tasks
Putting the garden to bed for the winter is an important gardening task. Clearing up debris, cutting back perennials, composting, and mulching will create a healthier spring garden!
6Bacterial and Viral Infections and Miscarriage
Infectious diseases can cause harm to a developing baby, and may even result in miscarriage or stillbirth. Many of these diseases are preventable: learn how to avoid infection during your pregnancy.
15Dog Allergies: Bee Sting Reactions and Treatment
Know how to give your dog allergy medication in the event of an allergic reaction to bee stings. This knowledge could buy your dog time and save his life!
11What is the Cochlea?
The cochlea is located in the inner ear and is the main hearing organ. Outer and inner hair cells detect and transmit information about sound volume and frequency to the auditory nerve.
14Learning Games for Teaching Alphabet and Language Skills
Make your own ABC window clings and go fishing for letters and words to learn basic alphabet skills. Throw away the workbooks and learn with hands-on activities!
10Stages of Prenatal Development
Human babies develop from a single, fertilized cell to a full term infant in the course of forty weeks. Learn about the stages of prenatal development from the first signs of pregnancy through birth.
18Review of The Disneyland Resort in California
The Disneyland Resort is a wonderful theme park destination for families. This resort is clean, has rides the entire family can enjoy together, and creates magical memories for all who visit.
31Video How to Make Seedling Pots from Cardboard Tubes
Recycle leftover toilet paper tubes or paper towel tubes into seedling pots. These handy seed starters allow gardeners to get a jump on the growing season by starting seeds indoors!
4Hearing Loss and Assistive Listening Devices
Hearing in the presence of background noise or from a distance is frustrating for those with hearing loss. The use of assistive listening devices (ALD's) increases sound quality for a variety of applications.
6Eye Safety for Halloween
Eye injuries from Halloween contact lenses, costume props like swords and spears, and blindness resulting from hair dye used on eyebrows are a significant concern this holiday season. Prevent blindness and keep your children safe by following these simple tips.
8What Are the Semicircular Ear Canals?
The semicircular canals are located in the inner ear and are responsible for detecting motion and acceleration. Disorders of the vestibular system include Meniere's Disease and Benign Peroxysmal Positional Vertigo.
12Delays in Toddler Language Development
Speech and language delays are a concern for many parents, who wonder if their child is simply a "late talker"or if there is a true language disorder present. Learn the signs of a language delay: early intervention is vital to successful treatment.
10How to Make Soil Less Acidic
Acidic soil will cause growth failure in plants, as they are unable to take up the necessary nutrients to thrive. Increase soil pH by adding lime or wood ashes, at the appropriate time of year!
10Parthenogenesis: Virgin Births in Nature
Parthenogenesis is the development of an egg into a complete organism without the need for fertilization by a male. This process is responsible for "virgin births" in the animal world and has been recorded in several insect, amphibian, and reptilian species.
24What Are Stem Cells?
What are stem cells, and why are they controversial? This article discusses the source of embryonic and adult stem cells, in addition to potential and current therapies.
12Types of Dutch Ovens
Dutch ovens are steeped in American history - these heavy-duty casserole dishes were used by early colonial settlers. Modern ovens are enamel-coated for less maintenance. All Dutch ovens use dry heat to cook fantastic meals!
16The Pros and Cons of Ceramic Knives
Ceramic knives maintain a sharp edge and are extremely useful for cutting fruits and vegetables. The knives are not, however, universal kitchen knives and may not be used to cut frozen food or through bone.
20Activities on the American Side of Niagara Falls
There are many outdoor activities available on the American side of Niagara Falls, including hikes, jet boats, an ancient military fort, and helicopter rides.
20How to Grow Sweet Corn in Your Backyard
Corn is an easy plant to grow in your backyard. Learn how to find the right seed variety for the best flavor, and how to tell when corn is ripe!
46Picky Eaters: When to Worry about Your Child’s Nutrition
What is the difference between picky eating and a feeding problem? Learn the top ten signs that signal the need for medical investigation of picky eating in children.
12How to Find Fossils
Where are fossils located in America? Learn how to identify where fossils are found, how fossils form, and what you need to get fossils out of the surrounding stone.
26Outdoor Activities in the Finger Lakes
There are many outdoor activities in the Finger Lakes region of New York State. Hiking, fishing, camping, canoeing, geocaching, and pick-your-own farms are abundant in this natural playground.
10Conductive Hearing Loss Causes and Treatment
Conductive hearing loss is generally correctable through surgery or medication. In some cases, a bone anchored hearing aid solution may be required. Learn about the causes and treatment options for this type of hearing loss.
18The Best Strollers for Big Kids
Sometimes a stroller is needed for an older, larger child. This article reviews different stroller types for big kids, and provides examples of stroller alternatives, jogging strollers, and large umbrella strollers.
29French Bread Recipe: How to Make French Bread from Scratch
Make your own French Bread with some flour, salt, yeast, water, and a little sugar and vegetable oil. This recipe makes two baguettes that may be used as a side to a hearty soup, as crostini, or sliced and used to make French toast. While the dough takes time to rise, the process of making your own baguettes from scratch is quite simple.
36Wacky Cake: A Dairy Free Cake Recipe
This dairy free chocolate cake recipe heralds from the Great Depression, when milk, butter, and eggs were too expensive for use in desserts. Wacky cake is vegan and dairy free.
14Chicken Rice Bowl Recipe with Stir Fried Vegetables
Love the taste of stir fry? Try this easy chicken rice bowl recipe! Marinated, baked chicken is added to stir fried vegetables and rice for a delicious dinner recipe. Chicken stir fry rice bowls are an excellent meal for busy weeknights, as the total cook time is only 30 minutes from start to finish!
20Easy Pasta Salad Recipe with Italian Dressing
This simple pasta salad recipe is a traditional side dish at picnics and summer potlucks. This dish takes less than 30 minutes to prepare, making it the perfect last-minute recipe for any gathering. Serve as a side dish with BBQ chicken, or eat it on its own as a tasty lunch!
20Anadama Bread Recipe from New England
Anadama bread is a traditional New England bread recipe, originating from Massachusetts. This bread recipe uses cornmeal and molasses to yield a slightly sweet loaf, perfect for eating with stew or chowder! This yeast bread recipe takes some time to prepare, but is worth the time and effort - bake this bread in a loaf pan or on a baking stone for an artisan look.
12Beef Tips Recipe with Rice
This simple beef tips recipe makes a family-pleasing dinner. Served over rice (or noodles), this recipe yields tender, juicy sirloin tips that create their own gravy as they cook. Serve with broccoli, salad, or green beans.
38Lemon Meringue Cookie Recipe
This recipe for lemon meringue cookies evokes the flavors of lemon meringue pie. Tart lemon filling is sandwiched between light, airy meringue cookies. The lemon filling for this recipe may be prepared in advance to speed the preparation time. Try this cookie recipe on a summer day!
10Lemon Curd Recipe with Pictures
Lemon curd is simple to prepare and a very useful ingredient in lemon dessert recipes. This simple recipe will make enough custard for one lemon meringue pie. The custard will keep for two weeks when refrigerated: simply cover the curd with plastic wrap, ensuring that the plastic wrap lies on the surface of the curd.
26Video How to Make Gummy Worms: An All Natural Recipe
Three recipes for gummy worms: the first two recipes are all natural and are great for families following the Feingold diet. The last recipe contains artificial dyes and colors, but is made with fruit juice rather than high fructose corn syrup. Make your own gummy worms at home for a healthier candy treat!
16Uses of Freeze Drying
Freeze drying is used for many industrial purposes, including document restoration, taxidermy, and food preservation. Lyophilization is used by the military, drug companies, and NASA.
14Cancer Treatment & Biotechnology
Biotech companies strive to find new cancer treatments with the use of immune therapy and targeted biologics. New detection and screening tests are also under development to identify patients at earlier stages.
27Video The Best Cinnamon Bun Recipe
The best cinnamon bun recipe includes a surprising ingredient: potato! Adding a small amount of mashed potato to a bread recipe creates a lighter, softer cinnamon roll. These rolls are so delicious you won't have any left to share - this recipe includes a cream cheese icing recipe and a video demonstration of how to work with a yeast bread.
8Video How to Put in a Child's Hearing Aid
Putting in a child's hearing aid requires more than simply inserting the aid: the hearing aid must be inspected daily and a listening check must be performed. Learn how to perform the Ling 6 Sound test with a child's hearing aids to ensure great hearing quality!
18Programs to Help Families Pay for a Child’s Hearing Aid
Many families are distraught when they learn most insurance companies do not cover hearing aids. There are many resources to help pay for a child's hearing aids: from charitable organization to insurance appeal letters, this article explores the options for families seeking financial assistance for hearing aids.
12Molecular Biology Laboratory Techniques
There are many techniques used in the microbiology lab. DNA cloning, polymerase chain reaction, and gel electrophoresis allow for the amplification and separation of genetic material. RT-PCR, Southern Blotting, and Microarrays allow for the quantification of nucleic acids: learn about the various molecular biology lab techniques employed in modern research labs.
2Salary for Biotech Jobs
Biotech job salaries vary immensely based on the amount of education required for a specific position, along with experience and specific skill sets. The location of the job will also influence the pay scale: a science job in San Francisco will pay more than one in the middle of Nebraska. Learn about biotech salary ranges for sample positions.
22How to Design a Simple Garden Plan
Designing a simple landscape plan requires a careful assessment of the garden site: determine the sun exposure, soil pH, moisture level, and location of the garden prior to selecting plants. Sample garden plans for different situations are included in this article about how to create a simple garden.
36How to Identify Poison Ivy: Images and Treatment
How to identify poison ivy and distinguish it from other, similar plants in the woods. Poison ivy images and description, along with examples of mimic plants. This article also includes prevention tips and treatment options, including natural remedies.
12Careers in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
What types of careers are available to college graduates with a biochemistry or molecular biology degree? Biotechnology, research positions, agribusiness, and educational facilities all offer career options to those with science degrees. Learn about the basic career paths one can take with a biology degree.
16How to Protect a Child’s Hearing
Noise induced hearing loss is on the rise in children: learn how to protect your child's hearing by preventing or reducing exposure to damaging noise volumes. Other causes of acquired hearing loss are explored, with ways to reduce or prevent the likelihood of childhood deafness. Hearing protection is vital as children are developing the language skills needed for spoken communication!
32Video How to Make Skeleton Leaves
Skeleton leaves are beautiful, delicate, and lacy. It is easy to make skeleton leaves at home: this video shows you how to make skeleton leaves with two different methods. One is easy, but takes a lot of time. The other is fast, but requires a steady hand. Leaf skeletons are wonderful for use in many different paper-crafting projects!
2Simple Savory Rice Recipe
This simple rice recipe is delicious and savory: the rice is cooked with onions and broth in an oven to yield a moist, flavorful side dish. This rice pairs well with many different dinner options: I love it as a companion to BBQ chicken, BBQ sandwiches, or tri-tip.
4Easy BBQ Pork Sandwich Recipe: Dinner in a Crock Pot
This easy pulled pork recipe is made with pork (butt, roast, or tenderloin) in a crock-pot. The meat is then shredded, mixed with BBQ sauce, and baked in an oven - the resulting sandwiches are simple to make and delicious to eat! A great week-night recipe for working families, with lots of left-overs to freeze for future meals.
8Baked Pork Chop Recipe with Stuffing
Baked pork chops with stuffing is an easy recipe for making tasty, moist pork chops in the oven. This recipe uses canned soup to keep the pork chops moist while baking, and a homemade stuffing complements the flavor of the pork chops. This recipe is part of the Kids Cook Monday campaign.
8Blood Types: History, Genetics, and Percentages around the World.
Prior to the discovery of blood groups, blood transfusions were often deadly. Physicians attempted the use of milk and animal blood as an alternative to human blood, but met with limited success: the discovery of blood types allowed modern transfusions to safely take place. Blood typing, blood groups around the world, and the genetics of blood types are discussed in this article.
34School's Out: The Loss of Recess in America
Recess was once an accepted part of a child's school day. With increasing pressures for academic success, many schools are cutting or eliminating play time in favor of rigorous academic pursuits. Many schools are built without playgrounds in cities like Chicago and Atlanta. Research shows recess actually boosts test scores and increases a child's attention span: some parent led initiatives are striving to bring recess back to American schools.
8Eton Mess Recipe with Pictures: Let the Kids Cook Monday!
Eton Mess is a trifle-like dessert recipe, traditionally served at Eton College during the annual cricket match against Winchester College. This English dessert recipe involves meringue cookies, whipped cream, and strawberries: this is simple enough for children to make, and is part of the Kids Cook Mondays campaign.
8Trotula the Medieval Doctor: A History of Women's Health from the Middle Ages
Trotula was a female physician in the 11th century: her medical writings influenced women's healthcare during the Middle Ages. Medical advice on childbirth and women's health was based on Galen's philosophy. Trotula was a revered doctor, and her medical beliefs are fascinating.
8Braised Short Ribs Recipe with Spicy Tomato Sauce: Let the Kids Cook Monday!
Braised pork ribs are easy to make, and this spicy tomato sauce recipe is delicious. We love this recipe in the winter, when we are tired of casseroles. As part of the Kids Cook Monday campaign, I have modified the cooking method to allow children to participate in the cooking process. The sauce is made prior to cooking the ribs, which allows little kids to help make dinner!
2Nissen Fundoplication in Children: What to Expect from a Parent's Perspective
The decision to proceed with a Nissen Fundoplication in your child is a very difficult and emotional time for most families. The surgery and recovery are difficult. This article describes what this anti-reflux surgery entails and our son's journey through surgery and beyond.
4Null Hypothesis and Formulas: A Definition with Examples
A basic discussion on the null hypothesis, z-scores, and probability. This article includes examples of the null hypothesis, one-tailed, and two-tailed tests. A coin is tossed and comes up tails ten times: is this just random chance, or is an unfair coin being used? Learn when to reject the null hypothesis: if the probability (P) is less than the chosen significance level, the null must be rejected.
10Chicken in the Nest Chicken Casserole Recipe: Let the Kids Cook Monday!
Chicken in the Nest is a hearty chicken casserole dinner, perfect for a cold winter's night. Chicken, peas, and carrots are bathed in a creamy sauce and surrounded by a stuffing "nest" - try making this delicious casserole tonight!
26Redheads: The Genetics of Hair Color
Hair color is primarily genetic, and red hair is caused by mutations in the MC1R gene. The gene for red hair also causes an increased sensitivity to sunlight and a reduced sensitivity to anesthesia. Contrary to internet rumors, redheads are not going extinct! Famous redheads include Queen Elizabeth I and Malcolm X.
10Digital Scrapbooking Freebies: American Celebration
Digital scrapbook freebies for the Fourth of July Holiday. Use your own photographs and create cute scrapbook pages using these free downloads!
6Review of Blue Wave Adventures Dolphin Tour in Myrtle Beach
There are many dolphin tours in Myrtle Beach, but our family prefers the Blue Wave Adventures tour operated out of Murrell's Inlet, South Carolina. The boat is small and able to get close to the wild dolphins, and the crew is environmentally conscientious and knowledgeable. A review of our dolphin cruise in Myrtle Beach.
6Medieval Times in Myrtle Beach: A Myrtle Beach Attraction Review
A review of the Medieval Times dinner show and tournament in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Our family visited the Myrtle Beach castle with two children, ages six and four, and had a fantastic time watching jousting, falconry, and eating "medieval style" at the Myrtle Beach castle.
6Ripley's Aquarium in Myrtle Beach: A Myrtle Beach Attraction Review
Avoid the Ripley's Aquarium in Myrtle Beach when it is crowded, as the price of admission is high and the aquarium is quite small. The time spent waiting in line was easily double the time spent actually viewing the attractions. A review of the aquarium in Myrtle Beach, with our personal experiences during Spring Break with large crowds.
14Easy Cherry Cheesecake Pie Recipe
This no bake cherry cheesecake recipe is extremely simple to make: as part of the Kids Cook Monday campaign, my four year old prepared this dessert with almost no assistance. The tart cream cheese filling balances off the cherry topping nicely, and makes a wonderful dessert for a hot day!
8Driving to Myrtle Beach: A Family Road Trip from New York
Driving from New York to Myrtle Beach requires a long road trip through the mountains of West Virginia. Our family's road trip to a Myrtle Beach vacation, along with tips and tricks for making a road trip successful. Stop and see the New River Gorge Bridge on the trip to Myrtle Beach, or stay at a halfway point and break the drive up into two days!
10Patter Flash: The Secret Language of Thieves and Pickpockets in London
A criminal slang known as "Patter Flash" was used among pickpockets and thieves in 19th century London. This criminal slang was used to confuse police and create a secret mode of communication between thieves, who often worked in large gangs known as battalions.
6Braised Chicken Recipe with Rice
Make a complete, healthy dinner using economical chicken thighs, broccoli, carrots, rice, and a thin gravy sauce. This dinner is nutritious, and kids can help to prepare the vegetables: kids who cook are more likely to try new foods!
10Video How to Reupholster a Dining Room Chair: An Easy Home Improvement Project
Reupholstering chairs is an easy home improvement project anyone can do: there is no sewing required. If you can use a staple gun and a pair of scissors, you can upholster a dining room chair! Give your house a new, fresh look with this simple DIY project.
4The Best Educational Toys and Games for 3 Year Old Children
Great toys for three year olds are simple and meet the developmental needs of a child moving from babyhood to childhood. Preschoolers need toys that foster language, gross motor, and social/emotional development. Don't break the bank - find out what toys matter for this age group!
6Lasagna Roll Recipe with Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
Lasagna rolls are a wonderful lasagna recipe, as they are simple to bake in a 9" x 13" casserole dish and are versatile with the ingredient list. This vegetarian recipe includes a red pepper sauce, cheese, mushrooms, and spinach for a health dinner to cook with your kids!
16Irish Tea Bread Recipe
Make Irish Tea Bread with your kids this St. Patrick's Day. The bread is also known as barmbrack or bran brack, and is a traditional Irish bread made from dried fruit and tea. Cooking with kids can teach cultural and historical lessons as well as nutrition!
46Video Music Lessons: The Importance of Music Education for Children
Music education is highly important for young children, increasing math skills, fine motor coordination, and helping children learn the benefits of perseverance and delayed gratification. Think your child is ready for music lessons? Consider the age of the child, developmental readiness, and time commitment before staring formal instrument lessons!
6How to Help Children Understand Death
Helping children to grieve after the death of a pet or loved one is a difficult process. This guide addresses the basic questions of very young children with regard to death, and explores our son's first exposures to death - first in nature, then with a pet, and then with a grandparent who died when he was five years old.
20Sunshine Granola Bars: An Easy, Healthy Granola Bar Recipe for Kids
Make all-natural, delicious granola bars out of oats, dried fruit, and honey with this great recipe for kids to make with their parents. This recipe includes prunes and dried apricots, but the dried fruit can be modified to create endless varieties.
10Video Make Homemade Microwave Popcorn in Three Easy Steps: Video Demonstration
Avoid the artificial chemicals and flavors of commercial microwave popcorn packets and make your own nutritious, flavorful popcorn for pennies on the dollar! This video tutorial demonstrates how to make homemade microwave popcorn in three easy steps.
12Forcing Forsythia: How to Make Forsythia Branches Bloom Indoors
Bring Forsythia branches indoors to force the flowers to bloom, even in the middle of winter! Bright yellow flowers are a welcome ray of sunshine during dreary winter months. Forcing forsythia branches is extremely easy to do!
102Chocolate Slavery: Slave Labor in the Cocoa Industry
Chocolate bars have a dark, often untold story of human trafficking and child slavery. Cocoa plantations on the Ivory Coast use unpaid child labor to harvest the cocoa beans, often employing tactics such as physical abuse by overseers on plantations in West Africa.
8Slavery in America: Slave Codes in Virginia - The 1705 Virginia Slave Act
The 1705 Virginia Slave Act turned indentured servants into slaves for life, removed legal protection against torture and murder for slaves, and required runaway slaves to be returned to their owners. A brief history of slavery in Virginia and the 1705 Virginia Slave Act.
41Teach Your Child to Garden: Child Gardening to Improve Childhood Nutrition
Child gardening is a way to create a healthy childhood: kids who garden are more likely to eat the vegetables and fruit they grow, and will be more willing to try different types of food. Growing a children's garden allows kids to experiment with different varieties of common vegetables: try growing purple carrots or blue potatoes!
8Deciding on Fundoplication: Surgery for Reflux in Children
The Nissen Fundoplication is an anti-reflux surgery used for uncontrollable reflux (GERD) in children. Our personal journey through the decision-making process for this surgery, after medical therapy for our son's LPR reflux failed. This article is for parents making the gut-wrenching decision to have this surgery performed, and includes several links to resources, in addition to our personal experience.
6Suzuki Piano Method: Music Lessons for Young Children
The Suzuki method is enormously popular in the United States and Japan. While the method was originally used to teach violin, many children learn to play piano (and other instruments) with this method. The Suzuki method allows very young children to play music by ear before progressing to sight reading, which allows 3 and 4 year old children to play the piano. Parental involvement is critical to the success of this method!
4A Brief History of Testosterone
Testosterone has a fascinating history - the male sex hormone was discovered in the mid 1800's, but wasn't officially labeled and purified until the early 20th century. With the discovery of this "elixir of life" came anabolic steroid abuse, treatments for those suffering from low testosterone levels, and research into the effects of testosterone on the developing fetus.
22How to Recycle Old Holiday Cards into Gift Boxes
Don't throw old greeting cards into the garbage! Turn them into gift boxes with this simple tutorial. With a little bit of tape and a pair of scissors, old cards can be turned into small boxes suitable for holding gift cards, jewelry, and other small presents!
0Our Journey with Amblyopia: Understanding “Lazy Eye”
Our son was going blind, and we didn't even know it. Our journey with refractive amblyopia (lazy eye), from the first failed vision screen to treatment. Amblyopia is caused by a variety of factors, and causes blindness if it is not treated early in a child's life. Treatment can include eyeglasses, patching, and/or surgery, depending on the cause of the vision problem!
10Video How to Clean Silver with Homemade Tarnish Remover: A Video Demonstration
A video demonstration of how to clean silver with baking soda and aluminum foil: the aluminum reduces the oxidation on the silver, allowing the silver metal to return to its shiny state. Silver tarnish is silver sulfide, and heavily tarnished items may create a sulfur odor when this method is employed.
16Digital Scrapbooking Freebies for a Happy New Year
Digital scrapbooking is a way to create beautiful pages that capture memories from years past. This article features scrapbooking freebies for New Year celebrations . Free word art, paper backgrounds, and digital embellishments are available for download and personal use.
4Christmas Digital Scrapbooking Freebies
Free digital scrapbooking papers and embellishments for Christmas. Feel free to download and use these images in your favorite photo editor!
24Hook Lighthouse in Ireland: Photographs and History
The Hook Lighthouse is the oldest working lighthouse in the world. Located in County Wexford, Ireland, the 800 year old lighthouse welcomes visitors to the cliffs on the eastern end of Waterford Harbor.
2What is Montessori? Early Childhood Educational Philosophies
What is the Montessori approach to education? Developed by Maria Montessori in 1907, this child-directed approach to early childhood education has spawned over 4,000 preschools in the United States and Canada. Learn about the tenets of this educational philosophy and determine if Montessori is right for your family!
23Early Childhood Education: Choosing a Preschool Program
Choosing a preschool program is a difficult choice for parents seeking a quality early childhood education curriculum for their children. This article addresses several areas of concern and suggests questions and observations parents should make before deciding on a preschool program for their child.
22Pictures of Mushrooms in Western New York
The State of New York has a beautiful array of mushrooms and other fungi growing among the oak, maple, and beech forests. This photo gallery of orange and yellow mushrooms was taken in Frewsburg, a town in the "Southern Tier" of Western New York. Many of these mushrooms can be found in the wider Great Lakes geographical area.
36The Ghost Flower: Photographs of Monotropa Uniflora
The Indian Pipe plant is often confused for a mushroom or fungus, with its waxy, pale form and habit of living in the deep woods. Pictures of this parasitic plant, which contains no chlorophyll and survives by taking nutrients from the fungi that live among the root systems of large trees.
2Chimeras: Transplants, Failed Paternity Tests, and Spider Goats
Genetic testing isn't perfect, as revealed by the case of Lydia Fairchild - a result of human chimerism, her children did not share her genetic material. The result of a court case gone wrong, Lydia's children were removed from her home and were not reunited until the reason behind the mismatched DNA test results was discovered. Chimeras occur in nature and can be induced in the lab: the Nexia Spider Goats are an example of using chimeras for commercial and defense purposes.
34Car Seat Expiration Dates: Keep Your Baby Safe
Why do car seats expire? The reason is not due to the manufacturer's desire to sell more car seats: in truth, the plastic in car seats breaks down over time and the seats become weak and unsafe for use in the event of a car accident. Learn how to identify a car seat's expiration date and how to dispose of old car seats.
15Letterboxing for Kids
Letterboxing is a great activity for families, involving low-tech, low cost stamps and paper, an imagination, and an adventurous spirit to seek out hand-carved stamps and logbooks hidden all over the country. Learn how to find letterboxes and how to engage in this fun (and increasingly popular) pastime!
10Vintage Lego Sets: How to Identify and Collect Classic Lego Bricks
The Lego company didn't always manufacture little plastic bricks - the first interlocking bricks were made in 1947! In the 1960's, Lego became wildly successful with a series of motorized trains, which are prized by collectors. Learn how to identify vintage Legos, and buy cheap Lego sets online through eBay.
4Auditory Illusions: A Virtual Barbershop and the McGurk Effect
Auditory Illusions are created by the human mind, in an attempt to make sense out of incongruous noise. Vision, stereo hearing, and the brain's ability to fill in the gaps create reproducible sound illusions. This article contains the McGurk Effect, Falling Bells, and Shepard tones, among others.
6The Best Travel Toys and Tips for 2 Year Old Children
Traveling with a 2 year old child can be quite challenging, particularly when the travel plan includes a long flight. Tips for entertaining toddlers on long road trips, including safety in major airports, changing diapers in airplane bathrooms, and great toys to keep kids entertained!
45How to Make a Dinosaur (from Chickens)
Paleontologist Jack Horner has a plan to reverse-engineer dinosaurs from modern birds. Believe it or not, a chickenosaurus (or, more likely, an Emu-Saurus) may be headed to a laboratory near you!
37How to Make Homemade Gummy Candy with Real Fruit Juice
How to make homemade gummy candies with real fruit juice: this recipe is simple, and only requires three ingredients. Make your own homemade gummies in half an hour!
16Growing Tomatillos: From Tomatillo Seeds to Salsa Verde
Tomatillos are easy to grow and are resistant to many pests and diseases. This fruit is extremely nutricious, and is the main ingredient in Salsa Verde. Learn how to grow and prepare tomatillos.
6C-Pap Masks for Children: C-Pap and BiPap Mask Review
There are few CPap masks for children on the market. Our personal experience with three Cpap masks, used for preschool-aged children. The Minime, FitLife, and Child Lite Masks are reviewed.
14Fruit Leather Recipes: How to Make Homemade Fruit Rollups
Make your own fruit leather with three simple ingredients. Homemade fruit leather is much healthier than the commercial "fruit roll-ups," which are made with high fructose corn syrup and artificial dyes and flavors.
10How to Make Watermelon Jelly with Four Simple Ingredients
Watermelon jelly is delicious and very easy to make. This bright and flavorful jam cannot be found in supermarkets, and makes a unique homemade gift. Watermelon, pectin, lemon juice and sugar are the only ingredients required to make delicious watermelon jam!
024 Hour pH Impedance Probe Test in Children: What to Expect
What to expect when a 24 hour pH monitoring study is ordered for your child. The pH Impedance Probe study is often ordered to verify the presence of acid reflux, and to determine the severity of any GERD that is present.
14Queen Anne’s Lace Jelly Recipe
Make a jelly from Queen Anne's Lace: the flower creates a beautiful, pink jelly with the flavor of honey. Making a jelly from edible flowers creates beautiful homemade gifts for friends and family alike!
40How to Make Candy Apple Jelly with Four Simple Ingredients
Candy Apple Jelly is a simple apple jelly recipe, which uses only four ingredients. The jelly tastes like baked apples, and makes a wonderful Christmas or Thanksgiving gift!
17How to Identify Queen Anne's Lace (Wild Carrot)
Identify Queen Anne's Lace (wild carrot) to avoid confusion with the deadly Hemlock plant. Knowing the differences between these two plants could literally save your life!
8How to Grow Sugar Baby Watermelons
How to grow Sugar Baby Watermelons from seed, determine when the watermelons are ripe, and harvest the watermelons.
16How to Grow Orange Tendersweet Heirloom Watermelons
How to grow and harvest Orange Tendersweet Watermelon from seed. This watermelon has a pale orange flesh and a crisp, light flavor.
9Real Zombies, Haitian Voodoo, and a Man Named Clairvius
Voodoo zombies are an actual phenomenon discovered by Wade Davis, an ethnobiologist who researched the astonishing case of Clairvius Narcisse. Skeptics question Davis's findings: are zombies real?
10Witch Hunts and Trials in History
A synopsis of witch hunts and witch trials across Europe, including witch tests and real examples of accused witches in France and Scotland.
2Children and C-Pap: Adjusting to Continuous Positive Airway Pressure
Cpap use is not common in children, and it can be hard to find practical advice for helping children to adjust to Cpap therapy. A basic guide for starting Cpap therapy in children with sleep apnea.
3Leetspeak: How to Speak 133t (leet)
What is 133t? Also known as "leet" or leetspeak, the language originally known as h4x0r originated in the 1980's and was used by hackers.
28Blue People in Kentucky: The True Story of the Fugate Family with Blue Skin
The blue people of Kentucky are not a myth, but are members of a family carrying a rare gene which turns their skin blue in color.
4Traveling With a One Year Old: The Best Travel Tips and Toys
Great travel tips and travel toys for one year old children, whether traveling by car or by plane.
10Laryngomalacia in Infants and Children
Laryngomalacia is a fairly common problem in infants, and can cause serious problems on occasion. Read about our journey with complicated laryngomalacia, and the causes and treatments for this disorder.
4Midway State Park in New York: A Travel Guide
Midway Park, NY offers rides and amusements for families with small children. Ride prices, photos, and location of Midway State Park.
6Sleep Studies in Children: What to Expect During Your Child's Sleep Study
What to expect when your child has a sleep study - how the sleep study is performed, our personal experience with pediatric sleep apnea.
11Artificial Chemicals in Food: Additives in Modern Food
Artificial food chemicals are widespread in our modern culture of eating processed food. Which food chemicals are safe, and which ones are potentially harmful? This article explores chemicals added to food in the modern age.
37Sailing with Children for the First Time
Sailing with children is a rewarding experience: this article contains tips for parents who want to develop a love of sailing in their children.
7Video How to Can Strawberry Jam
How to make strawberry jam, including instructions for canning the jam and storing the jam.
4Driving from Buffalo to Disney World: Road Trip to Orlando with Children
Driving from Buffalo, NY to Disney World offers flexibility and cost savings to families: this article offers tips and strategies for Disney-bound families who want to take a road trip.
8Intex Metal Frame Pools: Trouble Shooting and Review
Intex Pools are a wonderful, inexpensive option for families desiring an above-ground swimming pool. How to clear up a cloudy Intex pool, and choosing the right accessories to maintain the swimming fun through the summer.
2The Heterozygote Advantage: Examples of Disease Causing Genes that Give Humans an Edge
The heterozygote advantage is shown in several genetic diseases: cystic fibrosis heterozygotes are resistant to cholera, thalassemia trait confers a benefit for coronary artery disease.
14How to Crate Train a Golden Retriever Puppy
How to crate train a Golden Retriever puppy: crate training is the fastest way to achieve a potty trained puppy.
4The Best Bikes for Kids
This article explores the best bike accessories for kids, including bike trailers vs. bike seats, cycling with kids using tandem bikes and tow bars, and the best bike helmets for kids.
28Magdalene Laundries in Ireland and Across the Western World
The churches in Ireland confined approximately 30,000 women in prisons known as Magdalen Laundries. Both Catholic and Protestant Magdalen Laundries existed as a way for the church to control the lives of Irish women: their children were stolen, along with their lives.
52The Best Hearing Loss Simulations: Understanding Audiograms and the Impact of the Speech Banana
Hearing loss simulations are very useful for educating parents, teachers, and friends about what a hearing loss "sounds" like. A simple explanation for levels of hearing loss, and the best hearing loss simulators on the web.
18Kid’s Glasses: Choosing Eyeglasses and Frames for Children
How to choose glasses for children, and how to buy kids eyeglasses online, including measurements and online eyeglasses manufacturers for kids.
20The Y Chromosome: Ancestry, Genetics, and the Making of a Man
The Y chromosome contains haplogroups which allow people to trace their family history, genes which control male development, and may actually be disappearing.
4How to Play Zynga Scramble: Tips to Improve Word IQ and Game Score
The Word IQ in Scramble is similar to a batting average for baseball players: it represents how well a player performs over time. The exact score formula has not been released by Zynga, but a large part of the Word IQ is calculated by comparing the player’s score to the total number of possible points in a game. The following methods will increase Scramble Word IQ:
0Preschool Vision Screening: Detecting Eye and Vision Problems in Preschoolers
Preschool vision screening can catch many vision problems, but is not foolproof. How preschool vision screening works, and our personal experience with a failed preschool vision screen.
0Becoming a Zookeeper: Zookeeper Salary and Duties
What is the difference between a zoologist and a zookeeper? This article explores zookeeper careers, salary ranges, and educational requirements.
6Hearing Aids in Children: Adjusting to Hearing Aids
Toddlers and preschoolers may refuse to wear their hearing aids. This article offers practical advise for keeping hearing aids on a child for each developmental stage.
16Potassium Iodide: How Iodine Pills Protect Against Radiation
Potassium Iodide pills are given to victims of radiation exposure. This form of iodine blocks the radioactive iodine from binding to receptor sites in the thyroid. Chernobyl victims suffered from thyroid cancer, and the danger is elevated with the recent meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear reactor.
17How the Silver Fox was Domesticated
Russia's domesticated silver fox experiment gives genetic clues to the process of animal domestication. Wild foxes from fur farms have been domesticated and made available for the pet trade.
4When Easter and Christmas Were Banned: The Rise of Puritan Beliefs
There was a time when Christmas and Easter were banned in England and in Boston, under the power of the Puritan leaders who rejected the holidays as an excuse to indulge in sinful behavior.
4Natural Easter Egg Dyes: How to Make Natural Dyes
Create Easter eggs with an organic, homemade appeal with simple, natural dye recipes. Natural dyes can be made from many sources, including vegetables, spices, native plants, berries, and plant roots or tree bark.
11What Sound Does a Giraffe Make?
They're talking... we just can't hear them! Adult giraffes do vocalize, but the sound is low frequency, and below the hearing range of a human's ear. Baby giraffes make audible sound, similar to a cow's moo!
6Storing Legos: The Best Lego Storage Ideas
The best Lego storage ideas, including the award winning Box4Blox Lego storage concept. Sort and store Legos in one step!
2Swim Floats: Swimming Aids for Toddlers and Children
Different swim aids and toddler swim floats are discussed in this article, from all-in-one flotation swim suits to inflatable arm bands (water wings).
2The Mayville Ice Castle: A Festival in Mayville, NY
The Mayville Ice Castle is built in the small town of Mayville, in Chautauqua County New York. The President's Day weekend brings a festive atmosphere of winter celebration as people explore the ice castle.
0Nexium: How to Mix and Give Nexium Powder Suspension to Children
An instructional guide (complete with pictures) for mixing Nexium Powder Suspension, commonly prescribed to children with GERD.
13Wishing Wells: An Uncommon History of Coin Tossing, Water, and Hope for Divine Intervention
What is the history behind the common wishing well? Why do people throw money into water? Discover the origins of the wishing well: appeasing water gods in ancient lands eventually led to the quaint practice of tossing a coin and believing on a wish.
2Skiing With Kids: Great Kid's Ski Gear and Tips
Preschoolers will love to ski, as long as their specific needs are kept in mind! Use ski gear meant for preschoolers, such as a ski bib with handles, to help little ones on and off the lift.
4How to Patch Jeans with Iron-On Patches
How to patch kid's jeans and add appliques to make cool knee patches. Instead of throwing jeans away, simply patch the hole: it saves the environment and your wallet at the same time!
6Cubicle Decoration: How to Make a Cool Office Space with Fun Cubicle Accessories
Cubicles don't have to be quite so monochromatic. Decorating a cubicle with cool office accessories is one way to alleviate the sterile, prairie-dog like confines of a modern office building.
1The Lyric Hearing Aid: An Invisible and Low Maintenance Hearing Aid
The Lyric hearing aid is invisible, requires no surgery, and is maintenance free for up to 4 months at a time. Learn about the benefits, contraindications, and costs of this revolutionary hearing aid.
4How to Buy and Display Antique Marbles
The oldest marbles were made from clay, though old marbles may also be made from metal, glass, or stone. Learn how to identify and display vintage marbles.
16Vintage Hawaiian Shirts: How to Find, Maintain, and Store a Piece of Hawaiian History
Owning a vintage Hawaiian shirt is like owning a piece of island history. Learn how to identify and care for vintage Hawaiian shirts!
0Ear Candling to Remove Wax: the Dangers and Risks
Ear candling is a dangerous practice, resulting in injuries to some "patients." This article examines whether ear candles work, and the potential dangers involved with the ear candling practice.
25How to Colorize an Old Black and White Photo with GIMP: A GIMP Tutorial
Old black and white photographs may be colorized using digital photo editing software. GIMP is a free photo editing program available for download, and can be used to add a touch of color to old photographs.
0Hockey Themed Rooms: Bedding and Accessories
Whether a child plays youth hockey or simply adores watching the sport, creating a hockey room will create much joy in the life of the little hockey player. Several products are listed to create the perfect hockey room.
2Kindle Book Review: Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl by Harriet Jacobs
A review of the Kindle book Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, Written by Herself. This riveting book was written by Harriet Jacobs (Linda Brent), a young girl terrorized by slavery.
