HowToDoThings.com Recent Family Life Articles

How To Be Romantic

Deirdre — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 17:40:07 -0500

Romance is a way to demonstrate your love. Being romantic often gives an idealistic sheen to your relationship that some people dream about. If your relationship seems to be lacking something, try these steps to be romantic and add some more loving to your relationship.

How To Organize a Long Distance Baby Shower

mcdesign — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 16:08:29 -0500

How To Transition Back to School

leslie gail — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:47:56 -0500

How To Use Senior Dating Services

MarilynBB — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 20:02:20 -0500

How To Make a Diaper Cake

Cassandra — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 00:33:18 -0500

Decorating for a baby shower can have limited options. For a fun and creative decoration, consider making a diaper cake. Creating this cake lets you gift the new mom with items she needs while serving as a decorative centerpiece. Just follow these directions and you can make a diaper cake quickly and easily.

Materials:
1-2 packages of diapers (amount depends upon the size of the cake)
Ribbon – ½” in width or less
Package of pacifiers
Package of booties
Small doll, truck or rattle

Tools:
Scissors
Double-sided tape

How To Avoid BPA

Sommer — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 18:00:14 -0500

How To Eat a Bit Better

NiennaSeregon — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 14:10:40 -0500

How To Decide on Allowance for Your Child

NiennaSeregon — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 17:41:25 -0500

How To Create an Obituary

Cassandra — Thu, 05 Jun 2008 19:13:58 -0500

With the popularity of the Internet and online newspapers, obituaries no longer have to be short blurbs under 50 words. Several sites are now including full obituaries for everyone, not just celebrities and politicians. When faced with a death of a loved one, it is difficult to decide how to summarize his or her life in a short article tribute. Follow the steps below and you can create an obituary your loved one would be proud of.

How To Keep Calm During an Argument

NiennaSeregon — Tue, 27 May 2008 17:44:47 -0500

How To Have Easier One-On-One Talks with Your Teenager

NiennaSeregon — Tue, 20 May 2008 11:10:34 -0500

How To Deal With Jealous People

sadaf — Tue, 22 Apr 2008 13:17:09 -0500

How To Chase Away the Blues

mcdesign — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:50:44 -0500

Ladies – you consider yourself a happy person – most of the time. But what about those times you are a little off your game and a “blue” mood sneaks in?

This mood should not be confused with depression or clinical depression. If you are still feeling “down” or not in control of how you feel, fatigued, wanting to sleep but never feeling rested, having difficulty completing tasks, or having thoughts not consistent with how you have been in the past – and having all or part of these feelings lasting longer than a couple of weeks – seek help. There are many ways to identify and treat depression and no one should ever feel discouraged about seeking help.

How To Cope with the Death of a Loved One

margnorton — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 12:47:22 -0500

Dealing with death has to be one of the most difficult things we do. It is probably not what you typically see on a how-to-do list. It is for sure not as easy as 1-2-3. Just as people vary, the types and circumstances of death vary. The only thing we know for certain is that we are all going to die.

I lost my sister in 1984 and my father in 1989, both to cancer. It was hard to let them go and I miss them terribly. But 2004, the year my brother and seven people connected to my office died, was my most difficult time. There's really not much anyone can do to relieve the pain of death, but these tips might perhaps make coping with the death of a loved one a little easier.

How To Make Ukrainian Easter Eggs

teacher — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 20:54:54 -0500

What is Pysanka? It is a technique to decorate Easter eggs according to the Ukrainian tradition. This technique takes a lot of time, patience and...creativity. Although you can use specific traditional patterns, you can also use some creativity to display various designs of your choice.

The original intention behind this tradition was to send good wishes to family and friends when handing the eggs out as gifts. It is a bit similar to a card in which you've written best wishes, but the eggs were an easier way to express those wishes throughout the years when writing was not an acquired skill by all. At home, these eggs were meant to attract specific blessings (such as having a good crop, benefiting from good health, etc). How do you make Ukrainian Easter eggs? Let's see...

How To Deal with Nosy People

sadaf — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 13:07:15 -0500

She brings a home-made dish to your house so that she gets a chance to take a peek inside; she comes for a sleepover so that she can eye the dresses and shoes in your closet; she comes over and cooks up an excuse to saunter into your kitchen to look around for any new acquisitions (promptly asking where you got them from, and for how much); she asks you, "Are you pregnant?" each time you meet after your marriage; she reads your diary or cell phone messages when you're not around; she has to know where you got each outfit you put on your child, so that she can buy the same thing for hers, too. Then there's the office gossip who wants to know how much money each colleague is making, or the stranger you meet in the mall who asks you everything, from the due date to the gender of your baby-to-be, as soon as she sees your expectant state.

How To Help Your Children Make Career Choices

beawsviews — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 19:59:55 -0600

One of the most critical decisions to be made in life is the choice of a career path. While it is not wise to impose a career decision on your children, it is extremely important to be their primary counselors. This article highlights the essential tips that parents need to guide their children into their innate greatness.

How To Survive as a Caretaker for the Elderly

margnorton — Tue, 04 Mar 2008 11:46:25 -0600

Baby-boomers are struggling to care for their elderly parents. The estimates are that one out of every four adults is now caring for someone else. In the next 20 years, this number is expected to double. Many of today's caretakers are being referred to as the "sandwich generation." They are raising a family and also caring for an elderly parent at the same time. There can be advantages to this, but it is taking its toll. Caregivers are less productive at work, miss more time from work and are more stressed. For the past three years, I have assisted with my mother's care. Prior to that, I was my mother-in-law's caretaker. The following are my suggestions on how to better cope with this situation.

How To Make Family Your Number One Priority

Ae640 — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 14:40:06 -0600

Juggling the responsibilities of being wife, mother, and career woman is a tough act. So just how can you do it?

Every one says that family should always be your number one priority. Unfortunately, many parents fail in this endeavor simply because... IT’S NOT EASY. Other things could easily get in the way, or could just leave you lost in plain confusion. What you probably need is a clear thought of what your priority is, and how you could work on it and stick with it.

How To Create a Simple, Yet Warm and Loving Home

Ae640 — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 19:15:43 -0600

Although families now usually spend ‘quality’ time by going out to the movies together or ‘malling’ or dining out, there is still no best way for a family to reconnect than right in their own homes. After all, home is where you can truly linger over food, unwind with your feet up, and have a hearty laugh and conversation without worrying about disturbing other people – that is, if in the first place your home can be considered lovable or charming. Here are some easy ways to tender up and warm up your home:

How To Organize Your Home

Ae640 — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 19:00:29 -0600

To tidy up and organize your home in the easiest way possible, deal with the busiest areas in your house.

How To Prepare School Lunches

Ae640 — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 14:02:03 -0600

Ideally, you should be packing your child’s school food – both school lunches and snacks. This is the best way to ensure that they will eat healthily even outside your home. If your child has to buy food in school…

Find out what kind of food is being served at the school cafeteria. Do your own investigation.
And if your child has a daily school allowance, keep it small. Set rules on what he can and can’t buy with the money. Try to find out at the end of each day what he did with the money. The last thing you want is for him to be using up all his allowance on candies, chocolates, chips and other junk food.
Don’t just ask about the school’s daily menu. If possible, also check to see the condition in which the food is prepared.

If you don’t want to take chances and want to prepare your child’s school food yourself, keep in mind the following tips:

How To Manage Your Kitchen and Family Menu

Ae640 — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 14:02:55 -0600

Who says managing your kitchen and family menu is impossible while being a working mom? With a little advance planning and lots of creativity, you can take charge of your kitchen and your family’s meals.

How To Recognize the Signs of Abuse

margnorton — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 11:21:53 -0600

The 2009 federal budget proposal has been released and the news is not good for those trying to fight the war on abuse. Funds from the Department of Health and Human Services have been frozen. This includes prevention, hotlines and shelters. Public safety programs on the state and local level have been cut by nearly two-thirds. The report was approximately 2,270 words and the very last item mentioned was domestic violence. If the report was written in order of perceived importance, this would imply that abuse was the least important of all.

Contrary to what this cut in funding might suggest about domestic violence, cases of abuse are not declining. The first step in solving any problem is to recognize and admit there is a problem. Are there signs that might indicate one is being abused? I am not a professional counselor, but I am a survivor of abuse and a long-time domestic violence volunteer. The following behaviors could indicate that abuse is a problem:

How To Amend a Will

CVRAJAN — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 19:00:56 -0600

A will, once made, is not a rigid and irrevocable document. There are numerous reasons and circumstances that may trigger the need for changing a will and the procedure, fortunately, is not complicated at all.

Why do you need to change a will?

Though the legal minimum age of an owner of properties to write a will is 18, normally people think of making a will after fairly advancing in age, when the thought of approaching death sinks into them. This may happen after a serious illness, a heart-attack, an accident or after some disturbing developments in the family related to properties and money. So a person makes a will to allocate the assets and properties that he would like to distribute to the heirs and dependents after his death in a manner suited to his likes and preferences.

How To Make a Scrapbook

margnorton — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 11:20:47 -0600

When my children were young and all through school I kept some of their artwork, all their report cards, class pictures and other childhood keepsakes. I threw these into a box not really knowing what I would do with them but thinking one day when they were all grown up they might enjoy seeing the treasures I had collected. Numerous times I moved and each time I carried their boxes of stuff with me. As they got older I put in less and less stuff but the boxes never diminished in value. When my son turned 30 and my daughter 26, I thought then was the time to do something. Scrapbooking had become popular and seemed like the perfect thing to do at the time.

Three months later I had put together a book for each of them. Below are the steps I recommend doing to complete this project.

How To Garden Safely with Children at Home or in School

Marilisa560 — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 13:56:26 -0600

Gardening is in my list of top five learning activities. It's natural, therapeutic, hands-on, interactive and a great learning tool. Whether you teach plant care, botany lessons or gardening at home with your children or in school as a teacher, there are several areas to consider and steps to follow to ensure safety.

How To Keep Memories Alive

mcdesign — Tue, 22 Jan 2008 09:41:08 -0600

A memory can be tricky – it can change over time, parts can be lost, and sometimes it can be totally misplaced in the brain. Start now to maintain those memories and pass them onto family members that will someday treasure your hard work.

Photographs:

How To Make Moving with Children Easier

afriedl — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 12:01:54 -0600

The house is chosen, the paperwork is started and the bank visit is scheduled. In theory, your move from one house to another is going smoothly. However, the packing is taking longer than expected and now the children are upset about a new house. Where do you start? How can this possibly go smoothly? And will it be better once we're in the new place? Some simple things to consider can make moving much easier for children to handle. Older children can be easier to reason with and coerce into involvement. But what about younger kids?

How To Make a Will

CVRAJAN — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 14:19:35 -0600

In case you own properties and assets, the best time-tested and legally sound practice is to make a will so as to ensure that in the event of your death, your properties get distributed to your near and dear ones according to your likes and preferences. A legally valid will can ensure that your heirs and dependents need not unnecessarily fight for their share of your properties in court after your death.

By making a will, you can allocate your assets to your dear ones in proportion to their needs. For example, if you have a physically handicapped son, you will be able to earmark a much higher share of your properties to him compared to another son, who is hale and healthy, well educated and well settled in life. This would not be possible in the absence of a will, as all the sons, as per law, will have the right to claim equal shares to your property after your death.

How To Keep New Year's Resolutions

CVRAJAN — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 12:07:55 -0600

Why does everyone seem to have a record of failures when it comes to sticking to New Year's resolutions? It is the simple reason that while most of us are good in theory, we flounder in practice! We recognize that the difficulty in getting rid of a bad habit is directly proportional to our attachment to it and the length of the time we've been doing it.

We normally make a resolution to get rid of some of our bad habits - like smoking, drinking, overeating, workaholism, procrastination, etc. To become successful in keeping our New Year's resolutions, we need a few essential ingredients:

How To Stick with New Year's Resolutions

teacher — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 23:28:58 -0600

New Year's is a synonym for resolutions. This is the time of year when you want to make changes and start anew. It is also the time of year filled with good intentions and empty promises. Why? Well, mostly because you either forget about them, your goals seem unreachable or you simply count them as failures as time goes by. Why not make them a long term success by staying focused on each one of them? How can you make it easier? The answer is obvious...visualize them. You see, 70% of people are considered to be visual, 20% are auditory and 10% are kinesthesic-tactile. You can use this info to help you out.

How To Nurture Your Family

wintergreen — Fri, 21 Dec 2007 20:37:07 -0600

What is a family? We all know it's the basic unit of society, where we've been a child and then we've created a family of our own. A family can extend beyond our nucleus to include those people who extend our families ... aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and even close friends. When we learn to nurture our family then we feel safe, secure, happy and bigger than ourselves. Learn some easy ways to create a harmonious family.

How To Say No

mcdesign — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 16:07:09 -0600

Your boss has piled another deadline on your already overbooked calendar, your spouse wants you to stop at the grocery store on your way home for dinner fixings, you haven't even started reading the novel for your monthly book club and that meeting is coming up next week, your daughter's swim club needs your help selling baked goods tomorrow night at the basketball game, and, on top of all that, your son needs 3 dozen chocolate cupcakes with frosting and sprinkles by tomorrow morning.

Sound like a laundry list of your everyday life? Your life and just about everyone else you talk with will provide the same mantra of "so much to do, so little time."

How To Keep Your Baby Safe from Recalled Products

sarahchusid — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 12:13:57 -0600

Do you know if the products you use for your baby are safe?

Well, it’s sort of a trick question. Like most concerned parents, you’ve probably had your baby’s safety on your mind since day one. But what if you found out that the very items you purchased to keep baby safe and comfortable could end up seriously injuring your child, or worse?

Unfortunately, and contrary to many consumers’ beliefs, there is no requirement that children’s products be tested for safety before they are sold. With recalls in 2007 reaching a record high - over 25 million units - and high-profile recalls of everything from drug-tainted Aqua Dots to lead-laced Barbie dolls to collapsing cribs, parents are understandably anxious about protecting children under their care.

Fortunately, there are simple steps you can take to keep dangerous products out of homes and the hands of children.

How To Keep Your Toddler Busy

theramblinghousewife — Mon, 17 Dec 2007 11:51:35 -0600

Having a toddler can be quite a challenge! They are busy, little explorers, trying to learn as much as possible about the world around them. It is, after all, their job to touch, poke, shake, climb, bang, and taste just about anything new that they encounter. They are "busy-bodies," by nature and if you don't engage them in a variety of activities, they will happily entertain themselves in just about everything that they are not supposed to. Follow these simple steps, and you will be able to keep your toddler engaged and out of trouble!

How To Choose Valentine's Day Flowers

Denise639 — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 13:02:22 -0600

Valentine's Day is the day set aside for lovebirds. It is a time to express your innermost feelings to the one who brings joy to your life. In short, Valentine's Day is for couples. One of the most popular gifts purchased for Valentine's Day is flowers. Whether you are considering buying your better half carnations, a bouquet of roses, or a mix of different varieties, choosing flowers should be just as important as the day itself. Follow these steps, and you will be sure to bring delight to someone this holiday.

How To Lead a Peaceful Life

CVRAJAN — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 16:34:56 -0600

After spending considerable years in life in search of money, position, power, status, conjugal bliss and so on, many times we end up with a feeling that, in the bargain, we have lost peace in life. We feel peace is more precious than many other things we were hunting around for. By the time we reach such a conclusion, we have already developed such deep-rooted tendencies, behavioral patterns and mindsets that we consequently find ourselves enslaved in them and become incapable of untangling ourselves from them so as to live in peace.

Many of us do not know that having peace of mind itself could be a worthwhile goal and we can work our way to attain it! It would be even better if we develop such a mindset early in life.

How To Have a Positive Birth Experience

robin — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 15:58:15 -0600

‘I can do this’ is the best way to approach labor. It’s also a great way to step into parenting. The fact is, your body is designed to grow, give birth to and nurture healthy babies. And the fact is that labor is an act of love, physically and hormonally speaking. The contractions of labor massage your baby for a most responsive and alert beginning. The hormone that stimulates these contractions, oxytocin, is called ‘the love hormone’. It also stimulates the area in your brain that has to do with bonding, love, social connection. So when you love yourself, love your baby and have loving, patient people around you, you are helping with the positive work of oxytocin and labor.

During pregnancy:

How To Be a Long-Distance Grandmother

mcdesign — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 12:26:09 -0600

From mother to daughter, to grandmother to mother, life roles change, yet stay the same.

Your daughter just called five minutes ago to inform you of the imminent arrival, well, seven months from now, of your first grandchild. Within those five minutes, you have considered how fast you can sell your house, have a garage sale, pack, and move to within a few miles of their house --- especially since you currently live 12 hours away by car. The next few minutes are for backtracking as you realize how impractical that would be as you have a job you enjoy, the house you live in is finally just the way you have always hoped for, and your husband cannot pick up and leave his job either.

So, you are now stuck with the dilemma of your current life colliding with wanting to be in two places at once. There are ways to be in two places at once with current technology and going the extra mile of keeping track of memories, pictures, and feelings.

How To Be a Welcomed Guest

mcdesign — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 12:16:07 -0600

It is the holiday season and the time when families get together. Some travel only a few blocks and visit for a couple hours, while there are others that travel hundreds of miles, come bearing suitcases, and have the intent of spending quality time with family members. It will be a wonderful, fun-filled visit if you keep in mind some very simple manners and tips during your stay.

How To Be a Step Mom

mcdesign — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:55:23 -0600

When you think of stepmothers, what comes to mind? Cinderella? Her dilemma of being demanded to scrub out the sooty fireplace, having to miss the chance to dress up and miss a night out with a handsome Prince, or having to suffer the superiority of step-siblings? All of this creates a skewed picture of the 'wicked-witch stepmother'. Well, real life is a bit different than a fairy tale, but the misconceptions surrounding stepmothers still seems to reside in the dark ages. By taking a few minutes to consider today's society and its needs, maybe stepmoms can step out of the fairy tales and become an asset to their stepchildren's informative years.

How To Keep Your Children From Driving You Crazy During The Holidays

ralexander — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 16:03:17 -0600

Prepare yourself. Your children are getting ready to invade your house during their Christmas break. Your home will no longer be filled with quietness during the day, but instead will have the noise and chaos that can only be brought about by children. Use the following tips to make the Christmas-break time a fun season for yourself and your children:

How To Buy a Gift for Someone Who Has Everything

omehaney — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 18:58:57 -0600

Many of us have someone in our lives that has absolutely everything and then some. Buying a gift for that special person can prove quite stressful around the holiday season and with each upcoming birthday. Sit back and relax. Here are a few pointers aimed at making difficult gift buying a little bit easier.

How To Decorate a Christmas Tree

bronwyn — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 23:05:24 -0600

There are virtually endless ways to decorate a Christmas tree. From traditional to modern, simple to elaborate, Christmas tree ornaments reflect the personalities of the families decorating the trees.

How To Throw a Baby Shower

Cherish21 — Thu, 25 Oct 2007 13:16:30 -0500

Finding out you're pregnant can be the best news in the world. But as a new mother it can be a difficult as well as expensive task to search for and purchase all the necessary clothing, accessories, feeding supplies and equipment the new baby will need before arrival.

This is where a baby shower comes in handy. Baby shower gifts are the best way for a new mother to receive almost everything she needs for the new baby at no cost to her. These items will be given as gifts from friends and family. Baby showers are also a great time for everyone to come together and celebrate the arrival of the new baby.

So here are all the details you need to think about in order to have a successful baby shower:

How To Save Some Extra Bucks

sbiddy — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 19:49:32 -0500

I am certainly not the most frugal person in the world, but I have worked on making some changes in my spending habits, and it has resulted in a few extra dollars in my pocket.

How To Communicate with a Non-Verbal Child

teacher — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 19:59:23 -0500

Laryngitis is a viral infection that affects the larynx and the use of the vocal chords. Autism Spectrum Disorder is a disorder that affects various areas of a person's life such as their communication skills, their processing of information, development of hypersensitive issues and so much more. In the case of Dasan, my son, one of the areas of his life affected by this disorder made him officially a non-verbal child. Now the question is: "How to communicate with a non-verbal child?"

Since he was diagnosed with Autism at 3 years of age, he has used several communication tools to express his needs, his feelings and desires to us and others. While we are proud to see that his vocabulary expanded to approximately 10 words, he still needs these other tools as his vocabulary is not extensive enough to communicate effectively with others.

How To Choose a Flatware Set

Marilisa560 — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 19:17:03 -0500

I have used, purchased, broken, cherished, tried and discarded many different styles and types of flatware in my lifetime. And I have learned a secret: 'Not all flatware is created equal.' Even comparably priced flatware varies in several important ways. And nowhere is it so evident as it is in flatware options, that you get what you pay for. Here are some considerations for anyone planning to begin a bridal registry, set up housekeeping, purchase new flatware or replace flatware.

How To Keep Yourself Motivated

galbaras — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 07:40:26 -0500

Often, when we get ourselves ready to do something, we are not happy to do it. No matter how hard we try, the task just seems difficult, boring or both. Here is how to get motivated.