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Entry bubble Kids in the White House

By: Nancy | January 15, 2009 | Category: Home and Family

Just two streets from Gov Gab Headquarters, they're making a lot of preparations to welcome the new kids on the block.

By this time next week, Malia and Sasha Obama will have joined the exclusive list of kids who have called the White House "home." And while they won't be as little as John John and Caroline Kennedy, who danced at their daddy's feet in the Oval Office, or as mature as the college-bound Bush twins when they moved onto Pennsylvania Avenue, at seven and 10, the Obama girls are the perfect age for Kids.gov.

the Obama family

See, I'm figuring that among the bikes and stuffed animals that will be carted into the Executive Mansion over the next week, there will probably be a computer or two for the girls as well. And like every school kid, they'll have reports to write about art or astronauts, the 50 states or the environment and "going green." They'll definitely be curious about the news for kids that's coming right out of their new home. And they're going to want to take a break, kick back and play a few games.

Malia and Sasha may not be inheriting Amy Carter's tree house or Tad Lincoln's pet goats when they move into the Executive Mansion. But they will be the first "First Kids" who'll grow up online in the White House, learning about the country their dad leads, and the great stuff that the government has for them—and for every kid—online, from Kids.gov.

| Post a Comment | View Comments [0] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: change   kids.gov   nancy   obama   president  

 

Entry bubble National Hobby Month

By: Nancy | January 08, 2009 | Category: Home and Family

Reading. Blogging. Gardening. Collecting piggy banks, or velvet paintings of sad clowns. piggy bank collection

Nearly anything can be a hobby. Celebrate your favorite pastimes and collections, revive old interests or begin new ones with your family during National Hobby Month.

The government web has lots of resources for stamp collectors, Civil War enthusiasts, coin collectors, and bird watchers. Take a look and see what info the government has about the things that interest you.

Me? I collect vintage Little Orphan Annie memorabilia and old time advertising, among other things. I enjoy baking for my coworkers and neighbors. I also fuss around in my garden with flowers and tomato plants—some of which actually survive my tender loving torture.

What are your hobbies?

| Post a Comment | View Comments [0] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: coins   hobby   nancy   stamps  

 

Entry bubble Caring for Your Pet

By: Joanne | January 06, 2009 | Category: Home and Family

close up of my cat's faceI know you’re going to think I’m crazy, but I’m pretty sure that our cat understands English. I’m not just talking about tone of voice stuff, but she knows what I’m talking about. When it’s my daughter’s bedtime, she comes running to me when I ask her if she’s ready to snuggle with Bailey, but last week she had a vet appointment and I spent 25 minutes searching the house from top to bottom and couldn’t find her anywhere. She heard me talking about the appointment that morning and even an open can of tuna couldn’t coax her out of her secret hiding spot.

She’s a naughty girl, but because we love her, I secretly rescheduled the appointment. When you have a pet that you care about, you want to care for her as well as you can. Keeping your pet healthy and pain free is best for them, but it’s important for your health as well since some animal diseases can be transferred to humans.

Routine veterinary care is pretty affordable for most of us, but if your pet develops an illness or gets an injury, the costs can be shocking. If you’re a pet owner, you may want to consider health insurance for your pet. I’ve never had pet insurance, but I have a friend whose beloved dog developed an autoimmune disorder and I’m certain that the vet bills were thousands of dollars. It’s pretty scary.

We’re not going to miss the vet appointment this week. This time I was smart and wrote it on the calendar but won’t mention it. I’m pretty sure she can’t read.

| Post a Comment | View Comments [1] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: cat   dog   joanne   vet   veterinarian  

 

Entry bubble Taming the Paper Jungle in 2009

By: Ginger | January 02, 2009 | Category: Home and Family

I am no longer a New Year’s resolution kind of person. My resolutions were always too strict and things I was destined to break. Instead of resolutions, I am setting a few life-friendly, good-for-me goals for 2009.

This past year things went, to use one of my favorite phrases, to hell in a handbasket. My once casually-organized office morphed into a jungle. In fact, the whole house has taken on jungle-like qualities, and I am not referring to the musical jungle in Disney’s production of the “Jungle Book.” My jungle is one of paper, clutter, and dust.

woman holding a green file folderUp until now, I have been too preoccupied with life events to care or to do anything about it. As I head into 2009, I know that this disorganized situation isn’t good for me and contributes to making me feel anxious. So, one of my 2009 goals is to slowly bring order and organization back into my personal life.

I have receipts, warranties, insurance documents, copies of bills, and a host of other bits of paper that all desperately need a good home or a toss in the circular file. Instead of rushing in and just tossing everything in a massive purge, I need a little guidance on what records and documents to keep readily available, which things to store, and what things it is safe to toss. “Preparing Your Household Records” is a great article with some helpful tips. It is especially important to get things in order with tax season coming up. Consumeraction.gov also has some great guidance on what consumer documentation should be kept and organized.

They say confession is good for the soul. One of my little secrets is that my husband and I were irresponsible and never got copies of our marriage certificate. We assume the justice of the peace who married us filed for it, but who knows. So, it is time to figure out how to get copies of that. “Where to Write for Vital Records” is a good place to start. This site tells you how to obtain marriage, life/death, or divorce certificates, and the good news is that most of these documents can be ordered online.

I am sure I am not the only person out there who needs to get a grip on the clutter. If you happen to be an organizationista (hmm, did I just make up a new word?) and have some suggestions or useful tips, drop me a line. And if anyone spots a toucan with a stapler, I think it is mine.

| Post a Comment | View Comments [5] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: ginger   organizing   paperwork   vital_records  

 

Entry bubble Yo, Happy New Year!

By: Nancy | January 01, 2009 | Category: Home and Family

If you and I were in the Philadelphia suburbs where I grew up, we'd be camped out right now in front of the TV, watching the Mummers Parade and discussing our New Year's resolutions.



I'd pull out my list and you'd laugh. I usually make 20 or 30 resolutions; I keep about half. Oddly, it's the same ones every year that I seem not to be able to keep:

  • I will stop consuming junk food like I'm an eleven-year-old boy on an "all you can eat" spree at the local 7-11.
  • My five block walk between the subway and my office will not constitute my only exercise for the day.
  • I will quit hiding my head in the sand and get better-educated about investing.

Yeah, I've got some tough work ahead of me. And I'm starting with USA.gov's special section devoted to helping us keep our resolutions. Whether you're aiming to drop some pounds like I am, or you're resolved to start digging out of debt, breaking habits like smoking or drinking too much or dealing better with stress, this is the place to start.

What resolutions do you keep making—and breaking—like I do?

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