Karen Alley, The Daily Post. As web editor, Karen blogs every day about news and events that are going on either in our area or on a national realm. Bringing together hot topics with local ties is what keeps her perspective on the news interesting.
Renee, Teen-dom Tales, provides a look into the life of a mom of a teen, a stage of life that brings with it a whole new realm of parenting challenges.
Stephanie, Mamma Said, writes witty and insightful posts chronicling the development of her two young boys, ages 3 and 1. As a Greensboro resident, they're out and about at locales around the Triad quite often, and she also brings in the working mom perspective at times, with her part time job.
Lisa, The Single Mom's Soliloquy, adds a different spin on parenting as she writes about the issues, challenges and joys of raising a daughter as a single mom. Her look at life in the new world order of blended families and split families is refreshing and sometimes controversial.
Heather Maggs, of The Time Out Corner, presents a humorous blog on the roller coaster life of a stay-at-home mom of a toddler.
Myra Wright, familiar to you as our editor, also blogs inPiedmont Ponderings. It's a great outlet for her creative sense of humor, and she brings some great perspective to life in King as the mother of three kids.
Our January issue has hit the stands, and with it we have lots of new stuff here online. Reading articles online is great, with live links taking you directly to the resources within the magazine. You can also enter to win contest for some great prizes, including tickets to the circus, the movies, or a special time with Arthur in celebration of the upcoming Arthur's World exhibit. Take some time to browse around, and down't forget to take our poll at the bottom of this page on that topic all parents of tweens are talking about: suggestive phone messages.
The holidays are over, and we've all gained a little weight and resolved to eat more healthy in the new year. But that resolution is just as important for our kids as for us, and as parents, it's often our responsibility to make sure the kids get the options to eat healthy. Because we all know that when not-so-nutritious options are nearby they'll choose them, often with dire consequences.
So when you're starting your new year's diet, keep those little ones in mind too. WebMD is a great place to start, with the importance of healthy diets for kids and some ways to integrate nutritious habits into your busy lifestyle. And find out more about starting healthy eating habits young with our article this month on Toddlers at the Table.
Get your kids involved by visiting the food pyramid's interactive site for kids at NutritionExplorations.org.
And cook up some great meals that your kids will love with these recipes.
It's New Year's! From the celebrations on New Year's Eve to the traditional meals on New Year's Day, we've got everything you need right here.
The Party
Have you been invited to a party at the last minute, but don't have a babysitter? Never fear! You can find one right here at Babysitters.com. Or if you're hesitant about trying someone new on the biggest party night of the year, take your kids with you. Our sister publication, Charlotte Parent, offers tips in their article, "Holiday Parties with the Kids."
Of course, sometimes being parents means you don't go out. But that doesn't mean you can't celebrate. Last year we had a New Year's Eve toast with our then-3-year-old. And she begrudgingly drank her Ginger Ale only after a lot of explaining about why we weren't eating toast. For some better ways to celebrate, check out Carolina Parent's ideas in "Ring in New Year's Eve with the Kids."
The Food
What we eat on New Year's day is packed with tradition, especially in the south. Black-eyed peas and collard greens are a must, even if it's the only day of the year you eat these two foods. Ever wondered why we eat them? Here's a quick run down.
Have you made your New Year's Resolutions yet? How many times have you been asked that already this holiday season? And if you make resolutions, like I do every year, how likely are you to keep them? Here's something new to try this year. Instead of making resolutions to lose weight or quit smoking, make some resolutions with your kids that the whole family can take part in. This site has some great family-friendly resolution suggestions, like becoming a better reader and keeping the room clean. And for advice on how to make resolutions you'll keep, check this out.
It happened a few weeks before Christmas, but the story makes such great Christmas-time news that it's being spread throughout our region now. A mom in Charlotte is reporting that her daughter who was at death's door is now healthy, thanks to a visit by an angel.
It's the type of story that seems to really strike a chord with people, especially at this time of year when we're reading our kids stories of angels visiting Mary and Joseph and multitudes of angels coming to proclaim Jesus' birth to the shepherds. It's reassuring, in a sense, to know that miracles can still happen. And while the skeptics among us might find many ways to explain away the bright light in the Charlotte mom's photo, there are plenty of other examples of angel sightings in modern times, as George West documents in his blog.
The belief in guardian angels has also become pretty big lately, which sparks many discussions among Christians and people of other religions. This article in Today's Christian Woman provides a good look at the current beliefs and what it can mean to theology.
But all debate aside, what this mother longed for was a miracle, and she got one. Here's to hoping all our dreams of Christmas miracles come true this year, no matter how big or how small.
Today is the first day of Hanukkah, the Jewish holiday known as the festival of lights. Actually, it started officially last night at sundown. And even though we're located right in the heart of the so-called Bible belt, where there's a Southern Baptist church on every corner, we're also lucky to live in an area where there's a strong Jewish community. If you're a part of it, then it is nice to have other people around who share your culture, especially if you're new to the area and trying to find ways to adapt to the idosyncrasies of southern life. But even if you're not Jewish, there are wonderful benefits to being in an area where other religions and cultures play a big part in the community.
Students at Claxton Elementary learned this, as they all played some games and learned a little bit about the history of the holiday of Hanukkah. And you can help your kids learn a little bit about this religious holiday that's celebrated every winter as well. Visit our Holiday Central, where we've got information on Hanukkah, the origin of the festival, and even some great recipes to try that are easy enough to make with the kids.
For more information about what's going on in our area visit one of the local synagogue's Web sites or make a call to their offices.
