As our first child has gotten older and stopped napping, we’ve gradually moved dinner time earlier and earlier in the evening. And with a newborn in the house, we have our hands full, so I try and find things I can do to help out. I enjoy cooking, but with us eating so early and […]
Always there family shopping lists with OneNote
(Note that a version of this post was subsequently re-posted on the official Microsoft Office blog here.) While I’ve had OneNote as part of my Microsoft Office suite for years, I was a bit of a late adopter. Until recently I used it almost exclusively at work for taking meeting notes and keeping track of my To Do lists. […]
Keeping the wider family involved from a distance – how we use Skype
(Note that this post was subsequently turned into a Father’s Day blog post on the official Skype blog here.) Several friends with newborns and toddlers have commented on how they’ve tried and mostly failed at using Skype (or similar internet video services) to keep connected with family and friends. When we’ve discussed what they’ve tried, […]
Bringing home the baby – how we managed in those early days
I once wrote an email to my younger brother before he had his first kid. In it I told him some of the things we learned about caring for a baby and wished we’d been told beforehand. When friends and colleagues were expecting, I’d dig it up and forward it on with a comment such […]
40 best books for toddlers, preschoolers (and their parents)
Reading to your toddler or preschooler is a rich and rewarding experience. It opens up conversations, expands vocabulary and introduces new worlds. But I’ve found that accidentally choosing a poorly written or illustrated book can make story time a lot less fun. And beware the book you loathe, but your child loves and wants read again and […]


