Special Needs Blog Week in Review – June 24 – 30, 2012

Every week, the Special Needs Blog Week in Review brings you a quick summary of each of the blogs that were posted here in the past seven days. It makes it easier for you to find out about the ones that you might have missed. The Special Needs Podcast Roundup went up on June 25, 2012. This week, I’d like to point out an episode of NPR’s “Weekend Edition Sunday”. The episode was called “Planes, Patience, and Slightly Kid-Friendlier Security”. This is a good one to listen to for parents who will be traveling by plane with their children this … Continue reading

Traveling Families Get the Shaft Again

My 7-year-old was 5 years old for about 18 months… but just when we had to fly from Chicago to Hawaii and back. Hey, my kid’s a peanut, but I know, bad is bad. Like you haven’t ever tried to milk the airlines’ rule that allowed you to board first with children under the age of 5. In some cases it’s a necessity to fudge your kid’s age, especially when you are flying with a brood of rugrats that range from six months to six years. What are you supposed to do then? Leave the six-year-old in the boarding area … Continue reading

Genealogy Podcast Roundup – Week of March 19, 2012

Once a week, the Genealogy Podcast Roundup brings you brand new episodes of podcasts that discuss subjects and issues that relate to genealogy. Often, the episodes come from podcasts that focus exclusively on genealogy. Sometimes, it will be random episode from a podcast that isn’t always about genealogy. GeneaBloggers has an episode that was released on March 16, 2012. This episode is called “Tracing Your Irish Roots”. The episode is hosted by Thomas MacEntee, and co-hosted by Jennifer Geraghty-Gorman (from “’On a flesh and bone foundation’ : An Irish History blog”). Special guests include Donna Moughty, a professional genealogist who … Continue reading

Old Man Winter vs. Tired Mama

We’re only a month into winter and I’m already counting the days until summer. Actually, I will settle for any season free of snow, ice, and sub-zero wind chills. In most parts of the world that would be spring, but I reside in Wisconsin, where it can (and often does) snow in June. Did I mention the state’s unofficial motto is: “Welcome to the land of two seasons: winter and construction.” It would be funny if it were not the cold, hard truth. I complained a lot about living in the Frozen Tundra when I was single. Partly, because I … Continue reading

Traveling During Pregnancy Part IV

11AM It has been two hours since our first stop and we could use some gasoline in the car. I am fairly quickly able to find a big gas station right off the interstate, which makes for a much easier stop. While I am pumping the gas, I am also unbuckling my two year old so that we can make a quick run to the bathroom (at this point I am doing my I-have-to-pee-so-bad dance!). Once again I let the boy run a bit before getting back into the car to continue our trip! We also grab cheese and apples … Continue reading

Relief for Parents Traveling with Kids

There is finally some good news for parents flying commercial airlines with young children. If you are planning to take to the skies during the upcoming holiday season, you will find things a wee bit easier as you make your way through airport security. Last week, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano announced that kids 12 and younger will no longer be forced to remove their shoes at TSA checkpoints. In addition, Napolitano said that children will not have to suffer through pat downs as often, and those, who get selected for the extra screening, will do so at the hands … Continue reading

How to Save Money on Gas in 2011

Do you remember how we all complained when gas prices hit $3 a gallon? Well that just seems like the good old days now, doesn’t it? With gas prices reaching and exceeding $4 a gallon, it is taking the equivalent of some people’s monthly rent just to pay for gas. What can you do? Drive less, yes, but that isn’t going to solve the problem for a lot of us who have to drive to work in order to pay for all of that gas. And with summer approaching, it is hard to tell the kids that they will have … Continue reading

My Last Blog

This is going to be my last blog as the Adoption Blogger for Families.com. I’m looking forward to spending the summer with my kids, possibly working at their school, and taking on new writing projects. I may well guest blog occasionally for this or other Families blogs. It seems the Adoption Blog will continue, so I hope this blog, along with Families’ forums, can be a source of information and community for adoptive parents, adoptees, and birth parents. Yesterday I could think of a million things to say in my last few blogs and wondered how I would fit it … Continue reading

Is Traveling Making You Fat?

If your New Year’s resolution is to lose weight in 2010, then you might want to stay away from airport restaurants. A new survey shows that most travelers are forced to ditch their healthy eating habits when on the road. Or more specifically, when traveling through the nation’s airports. When hunger strikes at the airport, you are typically at the mercy of fast food restaurants. Your food choices are limited to processed “convenience” items loaded with sodium, fat and empty calories. Sure, you could pack your own healthier options, like fresh fruit and a sandwich, but what parent is going … Continue reading

Planning a Frugal Resort Vacation pt 2

Summer is here and it is time to get away as a family. If you are like most families, you took a staycation s last year. This year, you may be more inclined to actually go somewhere special. A resort vacation will probably fit the bill. With that said, going to a resort for vacation does not mean throwing all rules on frugality out of the window. Instead, you should be even more frugal than normal in order to get the best vacation for the least money. In part 1 covered the early stages of planning such as determining your … Continue reading