The Top 3 Household Forms You Should Keep On Hand

The holidays are here, which means many of us will be doing one (or all) of the following:

• Arranging for someone to feed and water our pets and plants;
• Arranging for a new babysitter to watch the little ones while they're on Christmas vacation... or we are out on New Year's Eve;
• Sending one of our children with friends, a youth group or other family members on a vacation away from their physician and away from us.

Sound familiar? If so, then these three forms (which are free to download) are a "must-have" for your household!

House/Pet Sitting Instructions A simple-to-use form that allows you to document all necessary instructions for your sitter, including emergency phone numbers, pet info and plant care

Medical Authorization for Minors In the event of an emergency, use this form to provide consent for emergency medical treatment when children are away from home. *Note: Some businesses/organizations may require you to have your form notarized - especially if your child will be traveling outside the country.

Emergency Information Sheet Keep all emergency information handy in one area, including parent's work numbers, nearest neighbor or relative, children's school, pet info and insurance info.

*Be sure to print out a blank "master" of each form to keep on hand for next time.

Happy Holidays

Vacations Close To Home

Yes, there are layoffs, an economy that has tanked, and gas prices that are out of control. But that doesn't have to mean the end of the family summer vacation. Money may be tight, but that's no reason to cancel the summer fun. Many American families are opting for a stay-at-home vacation (or as it's now been dubbed, "staycation".)

[ADDITIONAL CONTENT / ARTICLE LINKS REMOVED]

A Budget-Friendly Summer

School will be out before you know it, and many families will be searching for budget-friendly ideas to keep the kids inspired, entertained, active, and full of smiles throughout the summer. Here's a few resources that can help:

Because I live in CA and know how expensive vacationing here can be, here's a few articles/resources that can help the budget vacation along:

• [ADDITIONAL CONTENT / ARTICLE LINKS REMOVED]

Regardless of your budget, summertime can be a great time for families - so enjoy it!

10 Tips for Safer Camping

Now is the time to get together with family and friends and enjoy the Great Outdoors.  Camping is a great way to spend quality time, but are you practicing camping safety?  Here are 10 Tips for Safer Camping.

photo: © sxc.hu/riley321

How To Be A Good Houseguest

Staying with family, friends, or colleagues, can be a great bonding experience for all, if you are a good house guest. Sure, there are some hosts who throw open the doors and tell you to "do whatever you want", but if you aren't 100% sure that you can take that statement literally... proceed with caution.[ADDITIONAL CONTENT / ARTICLE LINKS REMOVED]