Things You Should Do For Yourself Right Now

Are you someone who makes an effort to help, comfort, and pamper your loved ones? It has been said that many people take much better care of their friends and family than they do of themselves. Typically, there are more women than men that have this tendency, but it does include both genders. Now is the time to start taking good care of yourself, too! Here are some things you can start with right this minute. LifeBuzz posted an article that contained 30 things that everyone should start doing for themselves. You can view it as a guide to better … Continue reading

Your Presence is the Best Present

Forget about the fancy triple chocolate cookie pops, the pricey heart covered Build-a-Bear, and the massive red and white mylar balloon bouquet you were planning to gift your child with this Valentine’s Day.  Save your money and present your son or daughter with your presence on February 14th and in the days, weeks and months that follow. While candy, stuffed animals and shiny inflatables typically rank high on a child’s Valentine’s Day gift wish list, most kids would likely trade in the treats for one-on-one time with mom and dad. Life is hard enough for youngsters, so knowing that they … Continue reading

How to Talk to Your Kids about the Economic Crisis

“How can I talk to my kids about the economic crisis?” It is a common question that most parents face today. As prices on consumable goods rise, from food and gas to the cable bill, and families feel themselves pinched, even the youngest children are starting to notice that things around them are changing. Neighbors and friends may be moving away, favorite stores and restaurants may be closing, and everyone seems to have to sacrifice something they enjoy just to get through this time. Parents should see this time in our history as a teaching moment, but the lessons should … Continue reading

How to Hide a Pregnancy on Television

Do you ever play the pregnancy guessing game while watching your favorite television shows? Being on celebrity baby bump watch is such a trend that there are numerous websites and entertainment channels that are devoted to figuring out which actresses are pregnant at any given moment. My husband and I were watching a rerun of How I Met Your Mother. With a change in camera angle, we both turned to each other at the same time and said, “Is she pregnant?” about actress Cobie Smulders. When a popular television actress gets pregnant, the show’s producers have three options: write the … Continue reading

Sports And Family Bonds

With the Super Bowl just a couple of weeks away, now is a good time to think about sports and how they relate to family history. Whether you have athletes in the family, sports fans, or both, it is very likely that at least some family members have an interest in sports. If you think about your relatives and what sports they like to play or watch, you may see some similarities between family members. You might also see some major differences of opinion, which can make for memorable family events if there is a game on television featuring the … Continue reading

BabyCenter has List of Unusual Baby Names for 2011

Parents spend a lot of time deciding on the best name to give their baby. It could be a family name, that has been handed down for generations. Sometimes, parents desire to give their child a name that is unique. Those names might have been inspired by popular culture. Genealogists spend a lot of time looking for the names of relatives and ancestors. In some families, there could be a first name that is especially popular. In my family, for example, there are a lot of relatives who are named James. What name appears the most on your family tree? … Continue reading

Most Popular Baby Names of 2011 Revealed

The BabyCenter website has revealed the list of the most popular baby names of 2011. The list includes 100 names of girls, and 100 names of boys. The names that a generation of parents gives to their children reveals a lot about the popular culture of that year. Genealogists may come across some unusual and unfamiliar names as they learn about their ancestors. If you dig around a little bit, you might be able to find information that helps explain where the inspiration for those names came from. This could give you a clue into the types of books, movies, … Continue reading

Totally Over “Toddlers and Tiaras”

Enough with the bashing of the abomination that is Toddlers and Tiaras. The hit TLC reality show, which features young girls competing in beauty and glitz pageants, has been making headlines again since the airing of recent episodes that clearly illustrate that the some parents don’t utilize the portion of the vertebrate central nervous system that is enclosed within their cranium. Translation: Dumb parents making lame-brain decisions equal big ratings and major media attention. Then again, what do you expect when you dress up your three-year-old as Julia Roberts’ prostitute character from Pretty Woman or force your four-year-old to strap … Continue reading

The Baby Boomers Have Taken Up Genealogy

The Baby Boomer Generation seems to have taken up a new hobby. They are becoming genealogists, collectors of family history, and keepers of the family photos. It is very likely that when this generation was much younger, they never would have guessed that this would be how they would be spending their time in their “old age”. People born between 1946 and 1964 are part of the Baby Boomer generation. This generation was born after WWII ended, and there are a lot of them. Hence, the name “Baby Boom”. This is the group that came of age during the rebellious … Continue reading

Popular Baby Names From A Century Ago

Today, parents often give their newborns a name that was inspired by popular culture. This is not a new phenomena. If you take a close look at the baby names that were popular about one hundred years ago, you will find that your ancestors were also inspired by popular culture when they named their babies. Perhaps one of your ancestors was named after someone who was famous in 1910. In many ways, day to day life is very different now, than it was around one hundred years ago. Your ancestors didn’t have cell phones, access to the internet, or big … Continue reading