Photo: Heriberto Herrera As the school year comes to a close and the summer is about to begin, now is a great time to thank the people who have been instrumental in your child’s development. As a teacher, I have never expected my students to bring me a gift at... Continue reading

My daughter has recently fallen in love with fruity pebble cereal bars. She loves taking them to school for snack and I am happy she is bringing something she will actually eat. The problem is, I can't find them any more. I have been searching high and low in my three local grocery stores - but no luck. So instead of completely stressing out, I figured that I could make them at home. Continue reading

Every so often, Daniele and I get asked to do a radio show and talk about our experiences as parents. Each time, we're very humbled and are surprised at the request because in our minds, we're just two ordinary moms trying to do the best we can, by our kids,... Continue reading

The biggest misconception about making jam is that it's too difficult to do, but that's just not true. I am not a gourmet chef by any means and if the canning process scares the beejesus out of you, you can still make jam. Just make freezer jam. Continue reading

Photo courtesy of: Long Island Families Together Today is May 9th. Today is National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day. Today is a day to make some noise about children - and their mental wellness goals. In 1994, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) created the public awareness... Continue reading

I'm not sure about you, but the extended winter season on Long Island this year has made me a bit bonkers. I am an outdoorsy kind-of gal - and relish any day that can been spent barefoot, with the grass under my feet. But Mother Nature simply isn't cooperating right... Continue reading

Friday turned out to be one of those days that left me asking, "Did that really just happen?"- over, and over, and over again. I suppose everyone has days like this from time to time, but I swear, I kept asking that question all day long. From the moment I woke up and had my first gulp of coffee, I knew it was going to be one of those days. I won't go into everything that happened, but I do want to mention my two most favorite parts of the day - because they will stay with me for a long time. Continue reading

Photo: Anissa Thompson When my son was four, I had him evaluated for speech. He had a great vocabulary, but most people had a hard time understanding what he was saying. Then, when my daughter was five, I had her evaluated for occupational therapy. She had trouble holding a pencil... Continue reading

Photo: Ivette Ferrero Back when I penned “Asperger’s in Pink”, the rate of autism was thought to be 1:166. Before it went to the printer, it changed to 1:115. Beginning 2013, it was 1:88, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevent (CDC) now suggests it may be 1:50. Yes,... Continue reading

photo: Asif Akbar As you know, this past winter, Daniele and I did some soul searching to decide where we really wanted to go with our blog. We had some family issues at hand and we needed to reevaluate our priorities. After taking a few weeks off, we came back... Continue reading

You know that Denine and I love bringing attention to our great country's lesser known holidays. Well, lucky for you - we have dug up another one...National Zucchini BREAD day. Not National Zucchini Day, but National Zucchini BREAD Day. An entire day designated to the celebration of the bread itself.... Continue reading

I am standing in the teensy tiny gluten-free section of the grocery store and I can't help but notice the two butchers that are staring at me (from behind the saftey of their counter). I knew why they were staring at me. I had picked up and put down the same bag of gluten-free spagetti 7 times. Continue reading

Currently, I am battling a raging sinus infection and I'm so full of mucus that I swear my eyeballs are crying boogers. Too much info? Perhaps, but that's the God's honest truth - and that's why today's "Flashback Friday" is short and sweet. If you're scrambling for some last minute Easter Crafts to do with your kiddos, here's a nice sampling of some of my sister's past Kids Crafts. Have fun - stay healthy - and enjoy your holiday! Continue reading

After reading the title of this post, you might be asking why this is going out on a Tuesday instead of a Friday. Well, the answer is simple - I dropped the ball - but these Easter treats were just begging to be sent out, so I am tossing the days of the week to the wind, and sending this post out today. If the early arrival of Easter this year, coupled with the bizarre spring snow storms that never seem to end this year, have you feeling all out of sorts, then try some of these super traditional Easter treats to ground you back into reality. Continue reading

The weeks leading up to Easter always have me thinking winter will never end. I am left wondering if spring didn't get the memo and that's why it isn't anywhere in sight. I don't really mind the winter that much, I enjoy the slower pace and look forward to snuggling with my family in front of the fire, but lately...I have been hoping that spring will arrive. Continue reading

Daniele is the fancy bread baker that uses yeast and patiently waits for it to rise in a perfectly warm environment. She's the one that puts criss-crosses on it and places it on pretty towels for you to oogle. But me - I'm WAY to impatient for that, which is why this Irish Beer Bread is right up my alley. Continue reading

In our home, we get just as revved up for Saint Patrick's Day as we do for some of the "bigger" Holidays. Being Irish definetely has something to do with it, but my impish personality (which I proudly inherited from my father) also plays a big role. Continue reading

Growing up, my "Gramma Martha" was quite the original crafter. She taught us all sorts of crafty tips and tricks. She always had something for us to do. We spent our summers with her and I can not ever remember muttering "we're bored". Whether she was teaching us how to sew a button back on our clothes or how to make her amazing pancakes, we were always busy by her side. Continue reading