Home Management

Spring Cleaning: Give Your Home an Extreme Makeover

For our grandmothers, Spring was the season for cleaning because the weather had warmed up and the coal-fired furnace wasn’t needed 24/7. As a result, the dirty soot it created would start to subside in the springtime. It was better for the mothers of yesteryear to wait until then before they started cleaning.

I’m not sure what my excuse is.

This article, which offers a basic tutorial to spring cleaning, gives parents vital tools and techniques for decluttering, organizing, and cleaning basics. At just under 900 words, it’s the perfect complement to Spring issues, but the lede can be reworked to fit any season.

Filed Under: 500-1000 words, All reprints, Home Management, Seasonal, Spring

Good and Cheap Eats? How Healthy Food Choices and Frugality Can Coexist

It would seem that the healthy food is the expensive food. Most parents I know want to feed their children the best possible nutrition, but doing so can often be cost-prohibitive. Is it possible to feed a family healthy choices on a frugal budget? I believe it is — with a little know-how and savvy shopping.

At just under 1200 words, this article provides helpful suggestions for the parent who wants to feed her family healthy, budget-friendly food. Frugal recipes that kids will gobble up are also included.

Filed Under: 1000 - 1300 words, All reprints, Budget Living, Cooking with Kids, Food, Home Management, Nutrition

Wanna Be a Coupon Queen?

Years ago I would clip a coupon here or there and use them only for items that I would buy anyway. It was great justification to buy fancy or organic items. I didn’t see how clipping coupons really saved me any money since the generic was usually cheaper anyway. What I didn’t know was that there is a trick to using coupons wisely.

Since our family started shopping with coupons in a more effective way, we’ve reduced our grocery bill by about $200 a month! I have become a coupon queen, I guess.

Any grocery shopper can save big on food costs. With simple directions and lots of helpful links, this 1200 word article will equip your readers to win the Battle of the Budget. A 110-word sidebar is included.

Filed Under: Budget Living, Finances, Food, Home Management

Diary of a Grocery Geek: One Mom's Journey Toward Supermarket Savings

What would you think if I told you that I regularly pay 50 cents or less for a box of breakfast cereal? Or that I buy organic tomato paste for 5 cents? Or that I’ve reduced my family’s grocery spending from over $800 a month to less than $500? You might be wondering, “What planet is she living on?!”

Well, I’ve been on an incredible journey toward saving money at the supermarket. This article provides more than just anecdotal evidence. At 1238 words, this piece gives tried and true tips for families to follow in order to reduce their grocery spending. The accompanying sidebar provides a wealth of both online and print resources to help parents put food on the table all the while keeping money in the bank. One-time rights are available.

Filed Under: 1000 - 1300 words, All reprints, Budget Living, Finances, Food, Home Management

Be a Champion of Breakfast: Help Your Family Start the Day Right

Remember those old Wheaties commericals? Joe Namath and other sports heros tried to convince us that we needed to have a good breakfast, namely the sponsors’ cold cereal. But, it doesn’t take a football great to run the message that the first meal of the day is not one to be missed. In fact, research has shown that breakfast contributes to a myriad of positive outcomes, including increased learning, better school attendance and even healthier weight. But, getting breakfast on the table before work and school is a challenge for many families.

At 775 words, this article contains creative ideas to help families get quick and healthy morning meals ready in time for the morning dash for work and school. Included is a 146 word sidebar that includes food suggestions and a recipe.

Filed Under: 500-1000 words, All reprints, Back to School, Food, Home Management, Managing Mealtime series

Mom, It's Time to Primp Your Ride! Tips for Keeping the Family Car Neat and Organized

For many moms, the only “hot wheels” they’re familiar with are the kind you step on in the middle of the night on your way to the bathroom. But, while some mothers may not be interested in examining what’s under the hood, they do rely on that machine to get them and their families to work, to school, and to play. In the process, the good ole’ Mom-Mobile often becomes a dumping ground for school papers, CDs, lost lunchboxes, and the like. At 831 words, this article suggests a myriad of ways for families to keep their cars looking good, inside and out, making that daily commute a smoother one.

Filed Under: All reprints, Cars, Home Management, Travel

Pick Up Tricks: Make Cleaning Fun For Little Ones

Imagine toy soldiers marching all by themselves into the toy box. Or how about clothes that fold themselves at the snap of your fingers? Many a parent would love this talent that belongs only to Mary Poppins. Yet, we have to come up with magic tricks all on our own.

While there is always work to be done, we can teach our kids that cleaning can be fun. At approximately 844 words, this article suggests creative ways to make cleaning up easier and more fun for the younger members of the household.

Filed Under: 500-1000 words, All reprints, Home Management, Preschoolers, Toddlers

Supersize Your Suppertime! Cooking Ahead for Happier, Healthier Meals

You’ve heard all the research. The family that eats together stays together. Their children do better in school; they have fewer drug and alcohol problems; they are socialized better; the list goes on. However, applying what you know is good and true is difficult to do when confronted with the suppertime rush hour. Sports practices, scouts, church events, and other after school activities, not to mention extra hours at work and traffic on the streets can all throw a wrench in any well-oiled family machine. How can you provide a good meal and healthy social interaction in the midst of the busyness of life? One way to achieve dinnertime harmony is the practice of cooking ahead.

This article suggests practical ways for families to prepare a meal with a little advance planning. It’s a recipe for successful family meals with less hassle. This 1032-word article is available for reprint with an optional 240-word sidebar. The sidebar includes helpful websites, cookbook titles, and a delicious and easy recipe.

Filed Under: 1000 - 1300 words, All reprints, Budget Living, Food, Home Management

Clean Kids' Rooms? Make Fantasy a Reality

We all want our children to keep their rooms clean. However, they are not always willing or able to do it. This article of seven tips suggests practical ways in which parents can assist their children to be successful at maintaining their domain. Word count is 599.

Filed Under: 500-1000 words, All reprints, Home Management

Cooking for the Picky Eater (Managing Mealtime)

In one way or another we’re all particular about the foods we like to eat. However, kids seem to have some common dislikes when it comes to dinner choices. This article, complete with recipes, explores three different techniques: stealthily adding vegetables, eliminating offensive flavorings, and simplifying the menu. Word count is around 1179.

Filed Under: 1000 - 1300 words, All reprints, Food, Home Management, Managing Mealtime series

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