My partner and I spent much of the last two days trying to get a fifty-year-old electric train to run around our Christmas tree (aka our non-denominational holiday bush) for our train-obsessed son. The trains are part of my ancestral set, which belonged to my uncle, then my brother and me. They’re nothing fancy–low-end O-scale […]
With children in the house, most of us want to be extra-extra careful about household safety (without veering into overprotective paranoia, of course). With that in mind, it’s worth checking out these tips on Christmas tree safety from the National Safety Council. It should go without saying (but I’ll say it just in case) that
A new study by the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, Sweden, concludes that drinking two or more cups of tea per day may reduce the risk of ovarian cancer. The researchers caution that more study is needed, and that tea drinkers as a group may make healthier lifestyle choices, which may account for the results. I’ve
The San Francisco motorcycle group Dykes on Bikes has finally won a trademark for their name, after initial refusals by the U. S. Patent and Trademark Office because of a perception that “dyke” was a derogatory term. Unfortunately, “Tykes on Trikes” seems to be in use by several non-LGBT organizations that either donate tricycles to kids
If you’re in the Northeast today, and stuck home with kids watching the fluffy stuff come down, you might take a minute to review these instructions on how to build a snow [person]. OK, it’s really not that hard, and most of us don’t need written instructions. I like the tip about spraying the snowperson
If your kids love grilled cheese as much as mine does, you may be interested in the Toastabags from CHEF’s Catalog. Pop a cold cheese sandwich into these woven fiberglass bags, and slip the whole thing into a wide-slot toaster. Voilà! Melted cheese in minutes, and a clean toaster. At least that’s the claim–haven’t tried
Spanish scientists last week reported research findings that indicate a risk of bacterial contamination during the common in-vitro fertilization procedure of intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), where the doctor injects sperm directly into the egg. The research was conducted on mice, not humans, however, and other scientists are saying they don’t believe there is any health
It’s World AIDS Day, and this year’s theme is “Stop AIDS: Keep the Promise.” Yes, the odds of living with AIDS are improving, but the war hasn’t been won yet. According to UNAIDS/WHO: More than 25 million people have died of AIDS since 1981. Africa has 12 million AIDS orphans. By December 2005 women accounted
The American Heart Association has just updated its guidelines for CPR, making the process easier to learn and do, even for those with minimal training. It’s my opinion that anyone with kids, or anyone with childcare responsibilities, should be certified in CPR. If you took a course in preparation for your child’s birth, and your
