January 2011

Organizational skills come naturally to Katherine Lawrence, certified professional organizer for Space Matters in Richmond. “I did have a very organized sticker collection as a kid and I was the only college student with a filing system,” she says. Lawrence is also very sentimental. She keeps old t-shirts, vacation brochures…

Nathalie David can vividly remember helping her mother sort plastic, glass, newspapers, and aluminum cans into bins, then going with her to drop them off at the local fire station for recycling. The practice made her feel good, even as a young child. “My mother taught me how important it…

The timeline of each of my daughters’ lives seems to be drawn along a series of milestones. I handled the transition from crawling to walking relatively well. I braved the crib to bed switch sooner than most. However, I did not immediately embrace the idea of potty training. As a…

Sleeping bag? Check. Long underwear? Check. The waterproof boots from L.L. Bean I’ve had since college? Well, in need of new laces, but also check. Now if I could only find my old tent. Must be around here someplace. But let’s face facts. That tent was 1970s-vintage, hung by a…

It seems like only yesterday I was filling the bathtubs on our way out the door to the millennium New Year’s Eve party, nervous anticipation in the air about what might happen at the stroke of midnight….would we have no power or water for days on end? Would the Internet…

New research out of Toronto confirms what I’ve been telling myself and my husband – loudly and repeatedly – for many years now. Talking to yourself is not a bad thing. In fact, these brilliant Canadian scientists say that “using your inner voice plays an important role in controlling impulsive…

It’s January, and if you’re anything like me, you’re hitting the gym instead of the holiday party circuit (that was so December). And, you’re contemplating making a New Year’s resolution or two, which means it’s time to reassess self, finances, and life goals – a time to take stock. Chances…

Tonya is in seventh grade. Her report cards indicate that she is making satisfactory progress in school. Ditto, her SOL scores. But when compared to students across the country, Tonya is only reading on a third-grade level.Her math computation skills are only at a fifth-grade level.And her applied math skills,…

Q: How can I get my 8-year-old to clean her room?I don’t want to offer her a reward for something she should be doing already. Any ideas? A: First, look at what you want your child to do as a cognitive skill. When a child is learning a new skill,…

Persuading your child to take medicine can sometimes be the hardest part of getting better. If only it was as easy as Mary Poppins sang: “Just a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down – in the most delightful way.” Many medicines for children come in a liquid form.…

1. Chicken and Artichoke Bake  Cook 8 oz penne according to package. Sauté 1 small yellow onion (chopped) in a little olive oil until soft. Set aside. In a large bowl, whisk together 1¼ cups milk, 2 eggs, 1 tsp Italian seasoning, and a pinch of crushed red pepper. Season…