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My first marriage resulted in three beautiful children. I'm now re-married to the man of my dreams.

We are always looking for ways to save money, and of course do our bit for the environment, so why not combine the two? There are many ways we can cut down on energy consumption that will reduce fuel bills and therefore that “carbon footprint” we hear so much about today.

Living here in Spain I worried that I would not get to experience that wonderful end-of-autumn chill, the first frost or indeed the nose-freezing drop in temperature associated with other parts of the world at this time of year. And with the crisp, sharp mornings has come the need for good old-fashioned comfort food…the king of which has to be soup. Packed full of nutrients and taste, these recipes are guaranteed to take the edge of the cold and fill you full of health and vitality!

I always think dads get the short end of the stick at Christmas, they are so hard to buy for and there are only so many pairs of comedy socks a man can take. Stocking fillers are a great way for the kids to get involved in either the gift buying as they are usually under 5 dollars, ideal for pocket money, or gift choosing. Most kids, when asked what daddy wants for Christmas, shout “Dinosaurs! Power Ranger DVD! Star Wars Lego!” Not necessarily Daddy’s first choice, but you can let them have some influence over these small gift ideas.

Most of us look forward to the upcoming holiday season with joy, the prospect of gift giving, family fun and parties a highlight in the cold and dark months of winter. How many of us find, however, that the reality is more stressful, and far from the “goodwill to all men” than was anticipated?

Some people just don't know what to make of a stay-at-home dad ... They don't have conventional office jobs so they can't be men. They don't have stretch marks so they can't be moms. They could be nannies but that's not right, either. Like most myths, SAHD myths are generally passed from person to person without any real basis for truth. In the spirit of holiday sharing, I thought I'd share four of my favorite myths.

Ok, so for “traditional” read “un-imaginative”….we’ve all been there, buying for a person we don’t know really well or simply running out of ideas for granny…and all that comes to mind is Lilly of the Valley bath sets, novelty socks, or a box of chocolates grabbed at the last minute. You are unsure who is the least impressed; you at giving or the family at receiving. So here I’ve tried to think of some classic favourites, and added a twist. Let´s face it there is a reason these gifts are favourites…they don’t offend, they can be given to anyone and they don’t cost a great deal.

Most of us look forward to the upcoming holiday season with joy, the prospect of gift giving, family fun and parties a highlight in the cold and dark months of winter. How many of us find, however, that the reality is more stressful, and far from the “goodwill to all men” than was anticipated?

Baby´s first Christmas is always an amazing time…but probably for the family around them more than the baby itself as they are hardly aware of the party season. Never-the-less as new parents we seem destined to spend oodles of money on gifts for the little ones, spend hours wrapping them only to find ourselves un-wrapping them 12 hours later, cooing in amazement at the gift we bought, then putting it away until they are old enough to play with it…usually just in time for next Christmas. So is there such a thing as a perfect present for a baby? Here I have tried to mix a few delightful toys to help stimulate and amaze as well as some gifts that the parents will enjoy as well.

On our street, there are eight houses. Two of them belong to retired couples (empty nesters). Two belong to single men and the other four (ours included) belong to families. Of those four, two of the families have stay-at-home moms with working husbands. One is a dual-income family.

And then there’s us.

Shopping for Preschoolers has its challenges. Many of the injuries to children happen when the toy that is picked out is not the right one for their age. Use this guide to help you pick out the right toy for their age group.

Sometimes things unexpectedly come up, like an invitation you weren't expecting, or someone's dinner party they have when you least expected. These things tend to just sneak up on you.

With some smart planning you can avoid those surprise trips to the mall. Even if you only have a small space to store these things you can always have something on hand. WHen you need a gift it will be there.

The first year of your baby's life is a big time for him. But what about the changes you go through in their first year? Becoming a mom is a life-changing event, and there are many milestones a new mom will hit in the first year of motherhood.

Do your kids groan at the mention of sex? When mine were younger, they had stronger stomachs (or didn’t have much of a clue yet) and I could broach the subject without ruining meals, their day, their life or whatever. Despite their gagging, it is something I bring up from time to time because they’re bombarded with sex and sexuality from everywhere else. I just want equal time for my opinion, guidance, information, perspective and yes, my experience.

“I wish raising kids came with a set of directions,” said my friend, totally befuddled and full of self-doubt after her latest go-round with her son.

I contend that it wouldn’t matter. Parental guidance directions would be just like homework. People wouldn’t follow them, they’d lose them, the cat would pee on them, their baby cousin would eat them, they wouldn't understand them, they’d break them, they’d make up their own or they’d say they tried them when they didn’t.

I am afraid. Halloween is around the corner and once again I’m instinctively gripping my seam ripper just a bit too tightly. The horror of our community’s annual Halloween costume competition - oh, excuse me - Halloween party, has me stressed.

Finger food eating babies and toddlers love macaroni and cheese, but in many cases serving it means a choice between a self-spoon-feeding mess or hand-feeding your child. Believe it or not, macaroni and cheese can be a finger food. This recipe was gobbled up by my twins, it's healthy and it's fun for them to eat.

Personalized Christmas stockings are fun for both children and adults, and it's a great way to make it fun to put out Christmas decorations. Personalized Christmas stockings also make great gifts for kids and parents. Here are some fun and cute personalized Christmas stockings.

Every mum knows that variety is the key to an empty lunchbox and a full child. So here are some more inspiring ideas to keep the kids happy, and alleviate the soggy sandwich slump that hits us mums this time of year. If you have already tried the ideas in our Lively Lunchboxes article, here are some more ideas to keep your kids munching happily!

It is estimated post-natal depression affects 1 in 5 new mothers. Most people assume that it happens immediately after the birth of your child.