Making the Most of Moments

I truly believe that no moment in life is too small. Each moment counts and while I often fail to recognize that, I at least strive to. When I do manage to capture those moments, it feels so good. This past Monday I had one of those. I recognized that I had a moment and I needed to make the most of it. It was after a very long day. It was one of those days where you are exhausted from a lack of sleep, you felt pressed to meet deadlines for work, a simple trip to the grocery store … Continue reading

Capturing Precious Moments of Your Newborn

Newborn babies are precious. They are small, lovable bundles of joy. However, they do not stay small for very long though. Babies grow quickly and their looks change a good bit during the first few months of life. That’s why it is especially important that you capture those precious baby moments when you can. Grab your camera and your camcorder. You will want to use both if you have them available. Video clips of your baby will capture more, but photos are important as well. I’ve always heard that a picture speaks 1,000 words and I believe that. You may … Continue reading

Birthparents from the show 16 and Pregnant Have Bittersweet Moments But No Regrets

The same People magazine issue (October 5, 2009) that told Katherine Heigl’s joyous adoption story also featured an update on the adoption featured on MTV’s reality show, 16 and Pregnant. Four months after Catelynn Lowell and her boyfriend Tyler Baltierra placed their daughter with adoptive parents in North Carolina, they are starting their senior year of high school in Michigan–and coping with bittersweet moments haunted by memories of the baby who Catelynn says looks like both of them. The couple are at peace with their decision, however. They decided to make an adoption plan for their baby soon after they … Continue reading

Our “Jon & Kate” Moments

With all of the controversy surrounding TLC’s Jon & Kate Plus Eight, I started thinking about what life might be like if we were on a reality show and cameras were catching our every move. Would I be like precise no-nonsense Kate Gosselin or like nurturing Aunt Jodi? And what kind of awkward moments would be captured for all of the world to see that would have people wondering about the parenting style we use with our little ones or actively criticizing our lives. The hairdo A lot has been said about Kate’s wacky hair do that she calls her … Continue reading

Snapshot Of A New Photography Blogger

Your house is on fire! Besides your family members (pets included), what’s the one item you would try to save on the way out? My answer: My photo album. Okay, albums—as many as possible. My firefighter brother would frown upon my answer as he constantly warns people not to grab anything when fleeing a burning building, but then again photography is not his passion like it is mine. My name is Michele Cheplic and I will be joining Nicole Humphrey (who, by the way is doing an incredible job) here in the photography blog. Some of you may know me … Continue reading

Capture the Moment

There are certain things people remember fondly from their childhoods. There are other things we forget, even though they were great events, but we smile when reminded of them. While we work to make our children’s lives memorable and happy, they won’t be able to remember every last snowball fight or other simple events that caused them to smile and giggle. Unless… We can try to capture as many special moments as possible. The truth is that doing so is just as much for parents as it is for children. We don’t necessarily think to take pictures during a snowball … Continue reading

Teachable Moments in Protective Play.

Protective play is about finding teachable moments, during play, to introduce the five BITSS elements of protective behaviors. BITSS play can help you to protect your child by introducing talk about Body Ownership, Intuition, Touch, Say No and Support Networks before anything horrible happens to your child. I run Protective Play parties to teach parents how easy it is to do. I take a stock of everyday toys with me and we sit and play as if kids would. During the play I coach in how find and grab that teachable moment and mentor the participants through play tutoring. It … Continue reading

Scrapbooking Blog Introductions

Hi! My name is Crystal and I have the pleasure of sharing two of my greatest passions with you – my family and scrapbooking – on the Families.com scrapbooking blog. I’ve been avidly scrapbooking since 2000 documenting my amazing husband and two adorable daughters. I love learning new techniques and sharing them with others. One of my closest friends, Lisa, is my partner on the scrapbooking.families.com blog. We have been friends since 2000 as well. Our husbands went to grade school, junior high and high school together. They were reunited while tending our respective daughters, who are 3 months apart, … Continue reading

Love Between the Pages

… or sheets… or blankets… or flannel footie jammies. There’s no better excuse to snuggle up with your child than storytime.  And there’s no better type of book to curl up with as we countdown to Valentine’s Day than a love-themed read. As February 14th nears, consider cuddling up with your little sweetie and embracing these kid-friendly Love Day titles: Splat the Cat:  Funny Valentine The black furball with a heart of gold is at it again.  Splat wants to give his teacher a special Valentine’s gift and enlists the help of his friends to execute his plan, but will … Continue reading

MyHeritage Mobile App Version 2.0 Released

Do you use MyHeritage for your genealogy research? If so, then you probably will want to check out their updated app. It was released on January 9, 2012, and is version 2.0. The app is free to download and some new features have been added. Genealogy and technology are two different things that are becoming more and more interwoven as time goes by. Genealogists of the past might have spent the majority of their research time visiting libraries and record archives. Today, the majority of genealogists go online to do research, to put together a family tree, and to blog … Continue reading