Today I’m finishing my response to some common complaints I’ve heard against full-day kindergarten.Last week I tackled the first half of the following comment. This week, I will share my thoughts on the second half.I/My kids/Somebody I know went through half-day kindergarten and turned out just fine, so why do today’s kids need/deserve full-day kindergarten?Part BWhy do today’s kids need full-day kindergarten and why should my taxes pay for it?Recently, an article was published in The Atlantic that explored the reasons Finland’s educational system is showing excellent results with its 15-year…

  A couple weekends ago, just one month shy of my 37th birthday, I achieved a milestone and ran my first race. It was the 15th Annual WPLR ShamRock & Roll, a 5K in the East Rock neighborhood of New Haven, and I managed to run (i.e., jog) the entire time and finished at 34.43 minutes; a little under 11.5 minutes per mile. Not bad for someone who just a few years ago thought she'd never be a runner. Let's rewind back to the fall of 1989, a long time ago. I was a skinny freshman at Mercy High School in Middletown, an all-girls' Catholic school, and had just been told that I hadn't made the …

  I have been having a love affair with 3M Command Strips for a few months now. Specifically on my love list are their damage-free removable hooks. They come in all sizes, shapes and styles, and are fabulous for organizing your home. And no, I am not an official endorser of their products, nor am I receiving any money or gifts. I'm simply an enthusiastic fan.Coat hooks for little ones Why hang up your kids' coats if they can do it themselves? Install a few of 3M's brushed nickel hooks on the wall or door near your home's entrance, and your evenings of putting away tiny outerwear is a task of …

  My two little ones are lucky to be spoiled by family and friends who love to shower them with toys and clothes. Lots of fun for them and mountains of tissue paper for me. For good or bad, I can't help but keep it all just in case, and finally, the day has come when I'm glad I have. Below you'll find three fabulous craft projects to do with all that tissue paper on a rainy day or when the kids are stuck home with the sniffles. Tissue ball art This could not be easier or more fun. Grab a few different colored sheets of tissue paper and cut them into small squares. This can be done quickly by …

  2008 was a watershed year for me. I got married February 8th, just a few days after Super Bowl XLII, the game that ruined the New England Patriots' perfect season. I remember that season well as it was the first time I had followed football. Brian, my then-fiance and now-husband, is a big football fan and we spent many evenings and weekends at the park playing catch. (Tip for all football fans--if you want to get your significant other into watching a particular sport on TV, teach them how to play it so that what they see on the big screen not only makes sense, but is interesting. This …

  I love pie. I love eating it, baking it, talking about it, and now, writing about it. I love pie so much that I have dozens of photographs of all the pies I've loved before from travels and my own kitchen. Recently, I happily discovered that January 23rd is National Pie Day. In the interest of helping everyone properly celebrate, I searched for the very best pies in our area, a more difficult task then I expected. I also included a couple of simple recipes if you want to bake your own pies - always my number one choice. Buying a Pie Pie is a fickle thing. It's either really good or really …

  Happy New Year! By now, everyone has sounded off on what were the best movies, products, television shows, and celebrity scandals of 2011. This week (with a slight wink) I am doing all inventors, entrepreneurs and business owners a huge favor and sharing my Top Five Mommy Wish List for 2012 -- ideas that would make a mom's (and dad's) life a lot easier, and perhaps make someone a ton of money. (I will be expecting ten percent of all earnings. Thank you.)5. Drive-thru Everything Before having kids, I thought drive-thrus were for the rushed and the lazy, but no more. Too many times I've had …

  The kids are in bed, most of the dishes have been washed, and the tumbleweeds of wrapping paper and boxes are in the recycling bin. Christmas is over, Hanukkah is almost over, and New Year's will be a low-key affair, so my major holiday obligations are done. I love the holidays but I also love when they're through. That being said, as I was watching my children frolic in the mayhem this past week, I wondered what they would remember of this Christmas and Hanukkah. Would it be all the family and friends that came over and played with them, or that Mommy kept asking if they wanted to see …

  If your home is anything like mine, it is brimming full of stuff.  Toys, clothes, kitchenware, old memorabilia, books, and little knick-knacks have been accumulating over the years, and it’s really starting to get on my nerves. It’s not just stuff anymore; now it’s SCHTUFF! Fortunately, there are a myriad of books we can borrow from the library, and tips we can read on the Internet that will help us tackle our bulging homes before we become an episode on Hoarders. The best news is that there are many people out there who actually want our unwanted schtuff, and will even pay us for it. What …