Shana Aborn

Thanksgiving: that blissful holiday that requires no cards, gifts or elaborate lawn displays. All it asks of us is to eat heartily, have a grateful heart, and take it easy for the rest of the weekend (unless you're a Black Friday shopper). If you're…

For children who go to preschool, the year is spent being introduced to new concepts, and taking a closer look at familiar ones. At this time of year, one of those subjects is the holidays, which means preschool teachers are explaining Thanksgiving…

Right now, parents and preschool teachers are both counting down the days until Thanksgiving, but for totally different reasons. You're planning family weekend activities and worrying whether you bought a big enough turkey; teachers are looking…

Having kids means having kid stuff. Having kid stuff, for many of us, means having that kid stuff scattered all over the place, which, in turn, means spending ridiculous amounts of time trying to keep our homes from looking like a daycare center.…

It's enough to drive a mom crazy: You feed and clean your kids all day, supervise countless Pinterest-worthy activities, bandage their boo-boos, weather their tantrums, and push them on the playground swing until your arms fall off. Then evening…

Pregnancy is filled with countless discomforts: nausea, aches, swollen ankles, hyperactive bladder... the list goes on. Then there are the inconveniences moms impose on themselves for the baby's sake, which can seem like an even bigger burden.…

Having gone with time-honored names for my own children, I'm always interested to see how many other parents look to the past when choosing their baby names. When you look at the most popular baby names of the 1800s, it's surprising to see how many…

Pregnancy is a weird thing. One minute, you feel like a hormonal 20-ton truck; the next, you feel all Life-Giving Earth Mother. One week, you can't even bear the thought of being touched; another week, you're totally in the mood, big belly and all.…

Veterans Day is coming up, but sadly, many Americans look at it as just another school holiday for the kids, or an excuse to take advantage of the pre-Black Friday sales. In light of the occasion, not to mention this week's elections, why not spend…

Had enough of 2018 yet? (Yeah, me too). It's hard to fathom everything that's happened personally, professionally, and globally over the last year. Some of it has been positive; other parts, not so much. But in about 9 weeks, we'll all be toasting…

Driving hazards are everywhere, and with time, we learn to manage them: icy roads, construction work, the texting idiot in front of you. But the one hazard familiar to every mom is one they don't teach you in driving school: driving while trying to…

When you bring a dog into a home with a baby (or vice versa, if you were pet parents first), it's important to familiarize your pet with the baby, so that the pup knows that the child is part of the family. Once they do, when will your dog learn the…

Let's face it: We've all had our less-than-perfect days as mothers. We've gone without showering, served Cheerios and Tater Tots for lunch, forgotten to sign the class trip permission slip, and looked the other way when the toddler sucked on the…

Do you have a toddler who huddles over their toys and checks every few minutes to make sure you're not watching what they're doing? Or a spouse who's so closed-mouthed, you feel like an FBI agent just trying to find out how their day was? Hint:…

Are you one of the millions of parents who love creating a little Christmas magic for your kids by posing an Elf on the Shelf around the house all through December? Then you'll love doubling that fun by adding an Elf on the Shelf pet dog to your…

Cat owners: Are you and your pet prepared for that all-important late-October holiday? You know: National Cat Day. (What did you think I meant?) Since 2005, October 29 has been set aside to honor our feline fur babies in whatever way we find…

Why do we own cats? It's not because we love cleaning up hairballs, scooping litter boxes, and having our feet attacked. It's because they provide love, comfort, and some of the funniest unexpected antics we've ever seen. Happily, thanks to modern…

We cat owners know that our fur babies demand attention and adoration every day of the year, of course. But there are certain days when cats deserve a special place in the spotlight, and National Cat Day is among them. If you haven't heard about…

Halloween traditions certainly have evolved since we were kids. Back then, our prep work consisted of picking out a costume at the discount store and perching a jack-o'-lantern on the front porch. Today, it's all about creepy animated lawn displays,…

Ready to have your mind boggled? The American Girl book and doll series has been around since 1986, which means that the girls who grew up with Felicity, Addy, Kirsten, and the other original crew are now buying those dolls for their own daughters.…