Okay, I’ve mentioned I geek out a bit every year over Christmas cards.  Case in point, this is a video I made last year, talking about the way I curate all of the Christmas cards we get every year.  Please to be amazed at my crafting skills and the quality of this video: Disclosure: I am two years behind on this project and currently have two boxes full of Christmas cards I need to glue to the scrapbook pages. I did finally order and receive all of our Christmas cards, which I’m . . .

We put up our Christmas tree yesterday, and officially broke out the Christmas music.  I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas music. It makes me feel all warm and glow-y for about a week, and then I grow totally sick of it and don’t want to hear it again for another year.  I think a part of this is the fact that, really, it’s pretty much the same 25-30 songs being recycled into different versions and genres every year.  Growing up, my parents listened to the same couple of . . .

Well, folks, here I am again.  At your service, poised and ready to take the fun out of another holiday! (Just kidding.  Mostly.) Although, I AM planning on completely sitting out this Thanksgiving.  My kids whine and complain ever year about the traditional Thanksgiving fare.  I’m not really excited about cooking all day just to hear them complain about the food.  You know what I hate?  Whining.  You know what else I hate?  Cleaning my kitchen.  So . . .

Keeping a perspective of gratitude is a hard lesson in life – one that many adults have not even mastered. But instilling the practice of being thankful in our children is a habit that will benefit them throughout their life: people who hold a worldview of being thankful tend to report more contentment and also tend to cope better with life’s challenges. There are several tips for teaching your children the art of being grateful, but the most influential (and perhaps most challenging) method . . .