Did you know that we receive the same amount of mail in two days that our parents received in two weeks and our grandparents in two months? Instead of letting it take over your home, take a few simple steps to get it under control.

Create a Mail System
First, take a deep breathe, look at your desk and holler “You don’t control me. I control you!” Once that is out of the way, get your mail center set up.

Create a place for incoming mail.
Place your shredder + recycling bin next to one another. A shredder is a must.  read more »

Get ready for spring with some easy, kid-friendly paper handprint Lilies – guaranteed to last the season with no sagging leaves!

Materials
• Different colors of construction paper
• Tape, pencil, scissors
• Straws or Green pipe cleaners

Steps
• Trace hand on construction paper and cut out.
• Curl each paper finger around pencil.

• Form a cone shape using the palm of the handprint (making sure fingers curl outwards)
• Tape cone together and then tape to straw.  read more »

This month, we feature a few award-winning titles from the good people at Powell's Books. There is no shortage of book awards given every year, but these are the absolute best of the bunch. If you haven't discovered these fabulous books, run to your nearest library or bookstore!

There Is a Bird on Your Head
by Mo Willems  read more »

Whether you want to reduce your child’s exposure to pesticides and other toxins or care for your child with the best choices in natural personal products, don’t be daunted by the task. A little time at your local bookstore or city library is a great place to start creating a beautiful and healthy home environment. It’s as easy as one, two, three, four…

1) Provide your family with natural and wholesome food choices by purchasing local and organically grown foods when you can. For non-organic produce, wash and/or peel to reduce your exposure to added toxins.  read more »

Click here to download a complete PDF March 2008

The bad news is there isn’t much you can do for a colic baby. The good news is they will grow out of it. They will. It just takes time. The key is calming yourself (or your partner). Pediatricians from the Portland Clinic (and the parents at NW Kids☺) recommend reading or viewing the DVD, The Happiest Baby on the Block by Dr. Harvey Karp. His strategies include swaddling the baby and emulating the womb environment as closely as you can. The tricks really do work for many babies.  read more »

Now that you’ve had your baby, getting back into fighting shape may seem a bit overwhelming. The right frame of mind is key to easing back into an exercise program—here are a few ideas to help get you going:

1 First things first, get yourself some new, flattering workout clothes. They don’t need to be fancy or expensive, just cute and comfy, so you’ll actually want to wear them!  read more »

By Jessica Davis

McMenamin’s hit on something when it started offering its “mommy matinees” a few years back – they’ve been so popular that parents continue to come, even after their children have outgrown the baby stage. “We have some regulars on their second, third child still coming,” says Peter Boicourt, theater manager at McMenamin’s Kennedy School, where the mommy matinee is a popular outing.  read more »

Check out the latest issue!