The sun is shining, the birds are chirping and the chaos inside the house has just begun. Lunches need to be made, breakfast scarfed down, clothes found and thrown on, and everyone ushered out the door on time. Finding a morning routine that can help everyone in your family stay on track and make mornings run more smoothly is one of the top items on most moms' wish lists.

Don't Curl up for Bed Before Things are Sorted for the Morning
Kids should have their backpacks packed, clothes/uniforms washed and sorted and know where their shoes and additional gear is before they go to bed at night. Even kindergartners should be responsible for getting organized before bedtime. Lunch money or lunchboxes can often be organized the night before a school day, too. Mom and dad can find their car keys, look at the calendar and schedule to sort carpools and after school activities and get themselves organized before bed.

Keep the Television and Computer Turned Off
Waiting for a television show to finish or to check just one more e-mail means less time together as a family, and you'll try to compress a 30-minute morning routine into a 10-minute time span. Keep technology off in the morning, you can save a radio to listen to the weather or morning news, but that's it. Your family's morning routine will go off without a hitch if the technology is turned off.

Insist on Eating Breakfast Together
Allowing everyone to grab and go on their own might seem like the best choice on a hectic morning, but in fact, it may slow you down. Rather than everyone getting in each other's way, and no one getting a healthy breakfast, put mom, dad or an older sibling in charge of breakfast on any given morning. Scrambled eggs and toast for the whole family don't take a lot of time and allow everyone the opportunity to sit down and eat together.

Get up when the Alarm Clock goes off, or When you First Wake up
One of the hardest things about getting out of bed in the morning is fighting the alarm clock. But the longer you fight it, the less time you have in the morning and the more pressure you'll be under. Instead, consider waking up a little bit earlier and don't fight the alarm clock when it rings, either. A smooth morning routine is more likely if you simply realize that you have to get up. Don't fight it by trying to sneak in five more minutes.

A successful morning routine for families helps everyone's day get off without a hitch. Get ready ahead of time, keep the TV off, eat together and get up when the alarm clock goes off. Mornings that start off right turn into great days!

Spring Cleaning might not top the list of fun activities that you can share with your children, but in fact, involving the entire family in a spring cleaning weekend is a great way to share memories, collaborate and get the house in order, all at the same time. Rather than waste a weekend watching television or going your separate ways, spend a weekend together as a family. Spring cleaning offers the opportunity for toddlers and teenagers to get involved in your home and provides chances for family bonding, too.

Divide up the workload
Put everyone in charge of a task—be it a room they are responsible for cleaning, a closet they need to sort through, or the regular chores like vacuuming or ironing. Young children can get involved with Swiffer dusters and mops, while older children can pitch in with sorting toys and clothes for Goodwill or Children's Aid. Be specific with kids about what you hope to accomplish. For instance, if your son's room is fairly organized, but filled with clutter, talk about the importance of purging and make him responsible for selecting a few items to donate to charity. Giving everyone a task can help make the workload more manageable.

Get outside and welcome spring, too
Don't confine all of your spring cleaning to the inside, either. Head out and weed the garden, cut the lawn, or plant some spring buds. One teenager handling the garden and another cleaning the living room strikes a great balance. Plus, if the sun comes out on the weekend, it isn't necessary to spend it all cooped up. You can still get the house in order without wasting it inside when the sun comes out.

Stop for snacks and take out
If you are going to spend the weekend cleaning, be sure to break it up with family treats and the opportunity to sit around the table with the ones you love. My family loves monkey bread, made from Pillsbury biscuits mixed with butter, sugar and cinnamon. Start the morning off with a family favorite and break for snacks throughout the day. Finish off with pizza or Chinese food, whatever quick, easy meal your family loves the best. Or stop and make chocolate fondue for dessert. Find photographs of mom and dad when they got married? Or a toy that you'd completely forgotten about from your childhood? Be sure to share with your family now!

The change in the weather provides a plethora of opportunities for parents and children to get outside and get active. Turn off the television, leave the cell phones and laptops behind and relish the opportunity to get to work in your garden. With possibilities for the entire family to get involved, gardening with the kids is the perfect way to welcome the spring.

Start at Your Local Gardening Supply or Nursery
A trip to Home Depot or a local nursery won't be wasted. Take stock of what gardening materials you already have and take the opportunity to fill your shed with the necessities. Remember gardening gloves, tools, seeds and plants. Purchase smaller, plastic gardening tools for young children. A bubble mower also works nicely. Let children help pick out the things you'll need, including what they want to plant and watch grow this season.

Plant Seasonal Fruit and Vegetables
Don't just plant flowers, which may not appeal to all of the children in your family. Consider creating a small vegetable garden by growing tomatoes, lettuce, carrots, potatoes, or even corn, depending on your location. Not only is the idea an environmentally and financially sound one, but it may capture the attention of otherwise uninterested gardening participants.

Don't Worry About Getting Dirty or Wet
Make a day or a weekend out in the garden a fun time. Run the sprinkler for the kids to run through, if the weather is nice. Let disinterested toddlers play on the swing set or bring some extra dirt or sand outside for them to play in. If teenagers aren't interested in mowing the lawn or trimming the hedges, suggest water balloon fights when the chores are all done as a way of cleaning up. Don't worry about getting dirty while you are gardening with the kids – and make clean up fun while you're at it.

The decision to get out in the yard and to garden with the kids might mean a mess, but the fun and learning that can accompany the day or the weekend is well worth it.

The minute the television is turned on, the whining begins from my two daughters. "Mommy, can I have a snack?" and "Mommy, I'm hungry!" are two household standards. Even if my children have just finished a big meal, they insist that they're hungry again the minute the television is turned on. Without a doubt, my family and I have fallen prey to the television snack food habit. There's nothing wrong with a little TV time, but don't let your kids become couch potatoes at the same time!

Have Rules About Food in the Living Room
One of the easiest ways to keep kids from snacking away while they watch a television show is to have specific rules that you enforce concerning when and where they may snack. Children who know they can only eat at the kitchen table, for instance, won't stuff their faces mindlessly while they watch a show.

Snack First, Show Later
School age children might be content to get home from school and decompress in front of the television with a candy bar or a cupcake. Instead, don't allow snack time and down time to become one and the same. Serve snacks right when children return home from school, do homework and then allow kids to watch a show before dinner. Keeping a schedule like this discourages snacking out of habit.

Watch Interactive Television Shows with Your Children
Watch television shows with your children and select quality programming that asks everyone to get involved. Who can eat while you're shouting out answers to Diego's questions or trying to find the super letters on Super Why? Try Kung Fu Panda or another film that can entertain the entire family. Keeping children active, even while watching television, can keep them from the television snack habit.

Don't let the television snack food habit take over your home - by enforcing rules, schedules and keeping television watching interactive, you can help your children from snacking out of habit while they watch their favorite shows.

Sometimes spending time with family can be as simple as putting a twist on a popular sport or activity. Remaining active is important to the family's health and also is a great way to have some fun together. The relay race is a classic sport that families and athletes have enjoyed for years. Skateboarding also is a family-friendly sport. Mixing the two can add to the fun.

Materials
Open Safe Paved Area
Skateboard
Sidewalk Chalk
Whistle

Preparation
Before the race begins, be sure the family is wearing appropriate footwear. No one should be running (or skateboarding) in sandals or dress shoes. Appropriate active footwear should be lightweight and supportive. Be sure that the traction on the shoes is appropriate for asphalt, as well as skateboard riding.

Other preparations for the race includes gathering the materials. Prepare the race by drawing a start and finish line on the ground with chalk. The start and finish line should be enough distance apart for a good racing area. The actual length may vary depending on your family's endurance levels.

How to Play Skateboard Relay Race
Place a racer at the start line, as well as the finish line. If you have more than two family members, those members should split up evenly and line up behind the other players. The player at the start line should have the skateboard. Blow the whistle to signal the start of the race. The player at the start line skateboards to the player at the finish line. The skateboard, rather than a baton is the hand-off item.

The player at the finish line then rides the skateboard to the start line and the next player in line is handed the skateboard. The race continues until all family members have had a chance to skateboard. This is a non-competitive version. For a competitive version, teams can be created. Game play would be the same, except there would be two or more start and finish lines, depending on the number of players. Whichever team finishes first is the winner.

Those who are too young to skateboard the traditional way, such as younger children, may sit on the skateboard instead of standing.

Warmer weather brings to mind the visions of picnics. Who wouldn't want to escape to a lakeside getaway for the afternoon? Unfortunately, even on the weekend, this isn't always possible for busy families. After all, you have to get the food ready, make the trip, plan activities, etc. But, if you have a simple menu everything else seems to fall into place. This week we'll discuss a picnic menu that takes minutes to prepare.

Tuna and White Bean Salad
Serves 4

2 cans of solid white albacore tuna, drained
1 can of white beans, drained and rinsed
1 small red onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
½ cup of green olives, chopped
¼ pound fresh mozzarella, cubed
½ cup fat-free Italian dressing

1. Toss all the ingredients together in a large bowl and chill until ready to pack your picnic basket.
2. Serve with crusty French bread.

Stone Fruit with Honey Mint Dressing
Serves 4

4 peaches, sliced
4 red plums, sliced
4 black plums, sliced
4 apricots, sliced
½ cup honey
¼ cup lemon juice
½ tablespoon of mint, chopped fine

1. Place the fruit in a sealable bowl and mix the last three ingredients to form a dressing.
2. Top the fruit with the dressing and chili until ready to pack.

Both of these recipes can be made the night before the picnic. All you have to do is freeze a few water bottles and store them in the picnic basket so that they keep your food cold. Don't forget to also pack some juice boxes for the kids and maybe a bottle of sparkling wine for you and your spouse. To make things even easier, pack the salad and fruit in single serve containers. Also, you can hold off on adding the dressing to the fruit to see if your children like it or not.

A picnic doesn't have to be a long, drawn out affair. You can quickly prepare delicious recipes that are healthy and make for wonderful picnic fare.

When it comes to daily living during pregnancy, feet are usually one of the first things to cause discomfort. It only makes sense, after all; pregnancy can cause your feet to swell, and the extra weight of pregnancy takes an increasing toll on them as your bundle of joy grows. So, what can you do to ease the burden your pregnant feet must bear? After two pregnancies, here are a few great tips and tricks for treating your feet right while pregnant.

The best way to start is wearing great shoes. By great shoes, I don't mean stylish, high-heeled or even necessarily expensive. I mean shoes your feet will love - shoes that are cozy or offer great support, especially if you're on your feet a lot. For cold weather, pamper your feet with real, slip-on boots. Sometimes, work attire demands either dress shoes or sneakers. For maternity-smart dress shoes, check out dress shoes specifically designed with comfort and support in mind. If you need sneakers for work or working out, look for comfort and support first and foremost. And, whenever, buying shoes during pregnancy, always try them on your newly pregnant feet. Shoes that are your usual size may feel uncomfortably tight during (and even after) pregnancy.

There are several other ways to keep your feet comfortable during pregnancy. When you don't need to be on your feet, try to keep them elevated as much as possible. This reduces swelling and gives your feet a much needed rest. Also, continue mild to moderate exercise throughout your pregnancy (I was in the gym on my due date. I wasn't worried about being fat - it just relaxed me!). Exercise during pregnancy will make your recovery and weight loss easier after giving birth. Also, if you can afford a regular pedicure during pregnancy, get one - especially during your last trimester. If you follow these easy steps to healthier feet during pregnancy, you can save yourself unnecessary pain and discomfort. And who doesn't want that?

Family story time often creates special memories. To add a unique twist that is sure to create plenty of memorable moments, try doing something unique with story time. Here's a fun way to add a good dose of drama to your family's routine.

Materials Needed
Your Family
A Good Book or Two
Imagination

How to Play
Once you've picked out a good book for active family story time, examine the book for characters. Each family member can choose characters from the story to act out. If there aren't enough characters in the book, members can take turns with characters or choose scenery from the book as their "character." Family members also must take turns being the narrator.

After each parent or child reads aloud each page, the family acts out that scene. There is no need to practice acting out the story beforehand. The improvisational method of doing this adds to the fun. The point of active family story time is not to get the scenes right, but to have fun while enjoying a good book together. Even if there are enough characters for family members, adding scenery and props for the family adds to the fun. For instance, a story could read "Jimmy proudly finished all of his chicken soup while mom and dad looked at him with a smile." If that portion is the contents of one page, the narrator would read that aloud. Two family members could acts as parents smiling at another who is acting like they're eating up a bowl of soup with a big smile on his face.

Another page of the story could read, "Jimmy then went outside to play fetch with his dog, Rover. Rover likes to jump over logs while he chases his ball." One family member could be Jimmy and another could be Rover. For a variation with family members as props, one or more family member could be the log that Rover jumps over to fetch the ball.

It is recommended to try this outdoors or in an open room for the most flexibility in active movement and theatrical stunts.

After a long, cold winter indoors, the appearance of springtime means that many families are ready to turn off the tube and head outdoors. But if your family isn't interested in hiking or cycling or the kids are just a bit too young for a weekend camping trip, it can be difficult to find outdoor activities that can interest everyone. Spending a family day at a zoo or a nearby animal park, however, can appeal to a variety of ages, interest levels and the kid inside of all of us.

Consider the nearest zoo, as well as those further away. This can be especially helpful if you are taking older children along, too. Larger zoos may be more crowded but can offer a wider range of animals and activities for children of all ages. Similarly, if your family regularly heads to the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., you might want to consider a change of venue and hit the Maryland Zoo in Baltimore or the Catoctin Wildlife Preserve and Zoo instead.

Pack your own Snacks, Drinks and Lunches
Many zoos will allow you to bring in your own food and drink and provide picnic tables for just such a purpose. Throw it all in a waterproof tote bag and head out the door.

Ignore the Weather Forecast
One of the most maddening things about trips to outdoor venues such as zoos is that you are dependent on the weather. But that doesn't need to be the case. Most zoos are still open when it rains. You might not be able to have your picnic lunch outside, but you'll still be able to see many of the zoos inhabitants. Wear your rain boots, splash in a puddle or two, and the zoo trip has taken on a whole new dimension!

Bring Along the Camera and a Guidebook
Not only can a day trip to the zoo provide some outside entertainment for the family, but it can also be educational. Bring along the camera, purchase a guidebook and document all of the animals that you see along the way. Make a photo book of your trip to the zoo and write what you learned about the animals or information about how they behaved. This activity is a great idea for homeschoolers, too!

Spending a family day at the zoo is fun, educational and a great way to get the whole family up and moving once the weather starts to cooperate this spring.

Though a parent's day is fraught with challenges, one of the hardest parts of any day is finding the time to accomplish your "must-do" tasks. Making dinner is often something mothers complain about, because by the time dinner time rolls around the kids are getting tired, hungry, and dad isn't quite home yet to help out. Rather than plop your kids in front of the television or computer, finding ways to involve your kids in the dinnertime routine benefits everyone in the family.

Plan Ahead
Don't leave the defrosting or the meal selection until 6 p.m. During breakfast or the car ride to school, talk to your kids about what you could have for dinner. Get everything you need ready in the morning, if possible, and make a list of things you might need to buy at the store or prepare ahead of time. Letting your children get involved in the meal planning and preparation can help mealtimes become less stressful for everyone.

Divide up the Responsibilities
Young children can't chop the veggies or use the food processor, but they could easily be taught how to set the table or fetch items for mommy from the refrigerator. Older children can make the salad, while younger children can help get the crescent rolls ready for baking. Give everyone a job for dinner, every night.

Set up a Second Kitchen
If your children are interested in cooking themselves, consider investing in a wooden kitchen accessory kit all of their own. Young children can set up their own kitchen and pretend to cook right alongside mommy or daddy. They'll be occupied, within your sights and entertained without the use of television or video games.

Rather than plop your kids in front of the TV or computer, consider finding ways to involve them in the dinnertime routine. Not only will you get to spend some quality time with your kids, but you'll teach them the importance of helping around the house.

Being the parent of multiples means that your parenting responsibilities are multiplied by the number of kids you have. When your multiples are babies you have two, three or four times the diapers, bottles and clothing changes as you would if you had only one baby, and as your multiples grow, your responsibilities only increase. One of the issues that you are bound to have to deal with is homework. Homework issues can range from just getting your multiples to do it to helping your multiples overcome learning disabilities.

Getting Homework Done
One problem that most parents have to deal with is getting their kids to complete their homework. Most kids are going to procrastinate and wait until the last minute to start their homework and complete assigned projects. While you can get by with this strategy, it puts a lot of stress on your kids and reduces the amount of knowledge that they are able to retain.

You can help your multiples be better students and more relaxed by setting up a homework schedule. It is best to get homework done as soon as your multiples get home from school. It is also better if they distribute large projects and studying over several study or work sessions. This makes larger projects more manageable and studying more effective for long term retention.

Learning Disabilities
Learning disabilities come in several varieties. Some learning disabilities are mild and only require a few modifications to study habits, while other learning disabilities are severe and require lifestyle and environmental changes. If one or all of your multiples are having ongoing problems with their academic progress, it is a good idea to talk to your pediatrician or to your kids' school about screening them for learning disabilities. Once the problem has been identified, a strategy can be developed to help your kids to regain control of their learning.

The most common learning disabilities are going to include cognitive delays and dyslexia. Both of these conditions can be overcome by supplementing classroom education with one-on-one tutoring and assistance, as well as by learning new ways to approach homework. Your school can be a great source of information on how to help your multiples overcome their learning disabilities, as can child development centers.

There are a number of delicious treats that you can make with your children for Holidays . And while you can't take homemade treats to school anymore, it is possible for you to make treats for neighbors and friends. Baking is a great family recreation activity. It creates memories and encourages family bonding, teaches children a valuable skill and can be educational in terms of math and reading practice. Here is an easy, tasty recipe that you can easily do with your children:

Chocolate Caramel Bites
These treats are simple to make and good to eat. You need:
60 pretzels (square works very well)
Unwrapped Rolo candies
M&M candies (plain milk chocolate -- in the respective Holiday colors)

Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Get out a baking sheet or baking dish and lay the pretzels inside, along the bottom. You can line the bottom with foil in order to minimize any possible mess. Put one Rolo candy on top of each pretzel. (Have the kids count them as you go.) Next, place the baking sheet in the oven and heat for three or four minutes, until the Rolos start to soften and spread their shapes. Bring out the baking sheet and carefully place one M&M in the center of the melted Rolo.

Let the candies set. This can take an hour at room temperature or 15 to 20 minutes in the refrigerator. Leave the candies on the banking sheet during this time. Remove the candies from the baking sheet when they are set and put them in a sealed container. You can also use festively colored cellophane bags tied with ribbon and pass them out to friends and family with cards made from construction paper. (The cards can be made while you are waiting for the candies to set.)

This treat can be made for Easter, the 4th of July, Valentine's Day, Halloween or Christmas. Simply buy the M&M candies in their special holiday packages.

Sometimes as a parent it is easy to only respond to the kids when they are doing something wrong. When you have multiples, your mind is so busy trying to keep up with the demands of work, home and multiple kids that you sometimes forget that it is also important to respond to the kids when they do something good. Now is the time to change your reinforcement strategy. For the next week try responding to what your multiples do that is right, sweet or good.

Time Your Rewards and Praise Properly
The first thing that you need to know about praise and offering rewards for doing something well is that your timing needs to be strategic. If you offer to give a reward in exchange for a specific behavior beforehand then that is considered bribery and not a reinforcement of a good behavior. This means that in order to be effective at encouraging the behavior again you need to hold off on offering your praise and rewards until after the behavior has been done.

Reward Sparingly
While it seems like pop culture for parents requires that you give your multiples a treat or reward after everything that they do right, this is not the best parenting strategy. In order to make rewards special, you need to use them sparingly. This will make really big accomplishments special. For example, a time when you don't want to offer a reward is after your multiples walk into the house without throwing a temper tantrum. A good time to offer a reward is after they finally use the potty by themselves.

Phrasing Your Praise
While offering a physical reward for everything that a child does right is not a good idea, offering your praise more frequently is a good idea. However, it is important that you be specific with the phrasing of your praise. For example, a simple "good job" is less effective than saying "you did a good job putting away your clothes." Being specific about what you liked about the behavior will help to clarify your approval and help your child realize that you are paying attention to what they are doing.

Is there anything better than a soup and sandwich on a cold evening? Chances are you probably serve this meal several times each winter. Truth be told though, tomato soup and grilled cheese, while classic, can get old after a while. Are there ways to update the grilled cheese and make it something different? Sure. In fact, here are a few recipes to get you started.

Mexican Grilled Chicken and Cheese
Serves 4

8 slices of white bread
4 tablespoons butter, softened
12 ounces of southwestern seasoned chicken strips
4 one-ounce slices of pepper jack cheese

1. Spread the slices of bread with butter.
2. Add a slice of cheese and three ounces of chicken to each sandwich.
3. Cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown on both sides.
4. Serve with tortilla or taco soup.

Italian Grilled Cheese
Serves 4

8 slices of Italian bread
4 tablespoons of butter, softened
4 one-ounce slices of whole mozzarella
4 ounces of turkey pepperoni
½ cup marinara sauce

1. Spread the slices of bread with butter.
2. Add a slice of cheese, one ounce of pepperoni and two tablespoons of marinara sauce to each sandwich.
3. Cook in a large skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown on both sides.
4. Serve with Italian Wedding soup or minestrone.

Fruity Grilled Cheese
Serves 4

8 slices of French bread
4 tablespoons of butter, softened
8 ounces of low-fat strawberry cream cheese
4 ounces of strawberries sliced
4 tablespoons sugar-free chocolate sauce

1. Spread the slices of bread with butter.
2. Add two ounces of cream cheese, a quarter of the strawberries and one tablespoon of chocolate sauce.
3. Cook in a large skillet over medium heat until golden brown on both sides.

These recipes are not only a different approach to a classic food, but they're something your kids will love. There are several ways to make your own signature grilled cheese. Best of all, you can easily incorporate your children's favorite foods to make something they'll truly love.

With television, video games and other forms of technology around every corner, it's easy for families to get caught up in their own worlds. Even parents and children sitting in the same room can be separated by iPhones, iPods, text messages, laptops and computer games. If technology has taken hold of your life, consider tuning out for a weekend and getting back to nature.

Before you start packing the things you will need, start with the things that you won't need. Leave the portable DVD player, cell phones, iPods, PSP and Nintendo DS. If you own a portable GPS, you may want to consider bringing it along for geo caching or for the car ride. But the technology stops there -- leave the laptops at home.

Locate a campground with toilets and showers, and you'll alleviate most of your teenagers' concerns. When researching the campsite, confirm if they have grills or fire pits available for cooking. Once you've found the campground and gotten the family on board, you can start planning for your family camping trip.

If you've never been camping before, you'll be pleasantly surprised with how easy the experience can be. One of the most important things is to bring a tent big enough for the family. Include sleeping bags, extra blankets and pillows, one or two changes of clothes per person, hiking boots, extra socks and food. Use backpacks, rather than suitcases, to haul your belongings.

Don't forget the food! Be sure to bring things that don't need to be refrigerated and can either be eaten cold or warmed over a fire. Include a pot and saucepan for soups or anything else you may need to heat. If you are going on a short trip, a cooler with ice might be helpful, especially for drinks.

A family camping trip is a great way to leave the technology behind and get back to basics.