Do you remember the music from the Publisher’s Clearing House commercials? Miracles can happen, can happen to you… Well, I would have told you to take that advice with a very large grain of salt. I would have, at least, […]
Thanksgiving Gratitude For the Whole Family
How many people use Thanksgiving to reflect on their lives, to express gratitude for their blessings, and to reflect on those less fortunate? As a parent, this is one of those fabulous teaching moments for kids. Of course, prepare the […]
Using toys to spice up your bedroom
Keeping the bedroom interesting can prove to be difficult at times. After years, you’ve tried almost everything once and at this point have found your rhythm. Sometimes that’s nice. It’s easy, it’s reliable, it’s even comfortable. but remember when sex […]
10 Things Every Man Cave Needs
Any true man cave should be suitable for a king. But what are the essential elements of the most tricked-out guy space? Betsy Helmuth, a New York City-based interior designer and owner of Affordable Interior Design, shares her pro tips […]
Life Affirming Lessons From a Suicide
There are many relationships we have in life, naturally. We have family, friends, business associates, and what I like to call, Virtual friends. Virtual friends are those we know via Social Media but may have never really met. I have many of these relationships, some of which have bloomed […]
Move Over Black Friday, Hello Giving Tuesday
Fed up with all the commercialism of the season? If you’re looking for an alternative to re-direct your family’s attention, consider Giving Tuesday. I just learned about this new day from one of the participants, World Vision. They sent the […]
Comfortable in my own skin? Yeah, right.
Over the summer, I was given a challenge by the folks at Dove Men + Care: write about what it means for a man to be comfortable in his own skin. I accepted the challenge, sure, but I didn’t know […]
A Really Bad Day
I had one of those days we’ve all had at one time or another to! Do I sound like a 5-year-old or what? It began while my wife and our younger son and I were visiting her parents in Vancouver, Canada. My […]
Interviewing Brittney
I met Brittney (a pseudonym), an 18-year-old young girl, on the chairlift on May 31, 2011 at Mammoth Mountain. She wasn’t wearing a helmet and I gave her my usual helmet lecture (see “Parental Hypocrisy” column). She ended up sharing […]
Dear 18-year-old self
35-year-old dad pens a letter to himself at age 18 Dear Howie, If my math is correct, it’s your first semester at college. You’re sweating out a philosophy course. And worried that flunking out will mean returning home and being […]
Guide to Buying a Snowblower
When shopping for a snowblower, you’ll come across a number of types, sizes and features. To determine which model is right for you, you’ll need to consider several factors, including the condition and size of the area you will be […]
[REAL-WORLD REVIEW] Three months with Windows Phone 7 / Nokia Lumia 900
The Nokia Lumia 900 was named “Best of CES” by C-NET, but that was waaaay back in January. In the fast-paced world of mobile phone releases, that doesn’t count for much today. Still, when I had the opportunity to give […]
College Debt: Avoiding the Ultimate Parent Trap
College loan debt has topped $1 trillion and that debt load is threatening parents’ ability to retire as well as students’ financial future. For college graduates, repaying student loans often means postponing buying homes or cars, getting married, and saving […]
Money, Money, Money
It’s hard for me to believe, but after writing more than one hundred “A Dad’s Point-of-View” columns, I’ve yet to tackle one of the biggest issues in families. It is one of the issues that causes more dissension among couples than […]
[MUSIC REVIEW] Lunch Money – Spicy Kid & the Rockabye Baby! Lullaby Series
As a father of three daughters, including our own little new release Daylyn Randi, I believe it is important to expose children to music at an early age. I recommend finding local music teachers for your children so they can […]