Start the Year Off Right: 10 Expert Tips on Decluttering Your Home

As with any goal, decluttering your home is about adopting the right mindset and then using a consistent and focused approach to tackle one project or space at a time. According to the National Association of Professional Organizers, 80 percent of what we keep we never use. Keeping that sobering sta

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Mind + Body, January 2012

Multitasking moms: Just say no! A study published last month in American Sociological Review shows that middle-class working mothers multitask more than their male partners (10 hours more per week) — and they’re not happy about it. Author Shira Offer, assistant sociology and anthropology professor

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The Dirt on Chores: Does Your Child Help Clean Up?

Getting kids to do chores can seem like a chore in itself. If they don’t refuse, they moan and groan. If they don’t moan and groan, they drag their feet. If they don’t drag their feet, they do a sloppy job. It’s enough to convince parents they’re better off scrubbing the tub, mowing the lawn or loa

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Child Stars: Reaching for the Sky with Both Feet on the Ground

Has your kid caught the acting bug? Does she show star potential? Or are you the only one who thinks she lights up the room? Seattle has a wealth of professional theaters and training programs geared specifically for kids and designed to nurture budding talent. We even have a few child stars of ou

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Mind + Body, October 2011

Breast cancer awareness Last year, there were approximately 208,000 new cases of invasive breast cancer diagnosed in the United States. One in eight women will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. To kick off the observance of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, the Seattl

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Parenting 101: The Benefits of Parenting Classes

Always wished for a manual to tell you how to parent? You’re not alone. So what’s a knowledge-hungry parent to do? Where do you find some solid parent-ed classes? Begin at the beginning with birth and early parent preparation. These classes are full of useful information about what to expect during

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Family Dinners: Are They Important?

Perhaps this routine sounds familiar: As a nurse practitioner, Sammamish mom Gail Brown may work until 7 p.m. Dad works and frequently travels. Their 17-year-old-daughter, Lindsay, a competitive dancer, has classes that start after school and last as late as 9 p.m. several times a week. Fourteen-ye

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Mind + Body, September 2011

Pregnant pause: Reasons to keep your weight gain in check Weight gain during pregnancy is crucial, but gaining too much can put women at risk for harmful weight gain later in life, according to a study published in the June 2011 issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The study’s author

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