The deadline for me to choose a college is approaching fast. In fact, everything has to be postmarked by May 1st. Last night I finally decided which college I wanted to attend, Northeastern, but then Cornell threw a twist into the situation. Originally, they were not offering any financial aid; however, my parents filed an appeal, and Cornell called us today to say that I could postpone sending out my decision until May 9th because they were going to look into my appeal case. The only problem about this is that Northeastern needs to know May 1st, or I may lose my spot.

Parents, please don’t let this happen to your child. I can tell you that it is not fun and it is a lot of pressure. After narrowing down my college choices to three, I finally picked one and thought that everything was all set, but then, because my parents were so late in handing in their financial information and, in turn, were late in the appeal process, Cornell was suddenly thrown back into the mix. Now we will wait on their information and hope that it comes before May 1st.

As a senior who is just about to wrap up her college selection process, my biggest advice for parents who are thinking about applying for financial aid is to get everything in on time. I’ll tell you right now, this whole looming “what if” about Cornell is driving me crazy. The financial aid process has been crazy—more so than the admissions application process—and it is so important to get everything done as soon as possible.

You don’t want to be waiting during the last few days of April to see if you are getting any financial aid.

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Are you looking for some entertaining, yet not brain-numbing television for your preschooler? There is a great article about a problem solving show that is sure to please both you and your child. To read this article, visit our sister site, Couch Tuber to read the review.

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I’ll be completely honest and tell you right off the bat that I am not a gourmet cook. I frequently make dinners that consist of baked something and side dishes that come from boxes or cans. I have found, however, a few “shortcuts” to seasoning and adding flavor to meals that would otherwise be bland variations on the same theme.

Enter: Onion Soup Mix.

Dry onion soup mix has to be one of the best innovations of all time—especially for lazy, time/energy crunched cooks like me. Usually all you need is to place the meat (or vegetables) in a baking dish, sprinkle dry onion soup mix over everything, add some butter (or healthy variant), and bake. Viola! Instant fantastic dinner!

Here is a recipe that quickly has become a favorite in my house:

You will need:

• Boneless Pork chops
• Potatoes
• Butter (or some healthy variant)
• Onion soup mix
• Baking dish large enough to hold everything
• Tin foil

The amounts of ingredients you use depend on how many people for whom you are cooking. When I am cooking for just my significant other and I, we get by with two pork chops and one large baking potato.

Cut up the potatoes into either small chunks or thin slices, and put them in the bottom of your baking dish.

Place the boneless pork chops on top of the potatoes.

Sprinkle the onion soup mix over everything.

Add a few tablespoons of butter

Cover your baking dish with tinfoil, and bake in the oven at 400 degrees until the pork chops are cooked thoroughly and the potatoes are soft and easy to bite into. Usually this takes anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to tell you when the pork chops are done.

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I love to read and when I had my son, I stocked up on lots of children’s books so I could impart my love of reading onto him. When he was three months old, we started with cloth picture books, the ones that crinkled and beeped with chewable corners. I would patiently turn the pages and make up stories for the pictures while he mauled the book with his hands and mouth. At six months, he quit trying to eat them, so we moved on to board books. He would sit in my lap and rapidly turn the pages, faster than I could read them, over and over again. He would sit still on my lap, except for the page turning, for untold amounts of time, ‘reading’ book after book.

By a year old he would actually wait on a page until I had read the whole text and talk about what the pictures were doing and what was going to happen next. So when I found out that my local library did a lap-sit story time on Wednesday mornings for toddlers 18 to 36 months, even though my son was only fourteen months, I decided to take him. He sat quietly on my lap enthralled by the stories, the interactive songs, and the bouncing. He’s three now, and we go every week, sit for two story times, and then check out books for the bedtimes stories we read every night.

Studies have show there is a correlation between reading and vocabulary. He recently had his three-year well baby check-up, and the doctor said that he had an advanced vocabulary and clear enunciation. Now, I’m definitely no expert by any stretch of the imagination, but I think reading to him since infanthood certainly had a great deal to do with why. So, I say the earlier they start being read to the better.

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Should parents dine out with their kids or not? While many adults prefer to dine out without children in the restaurant, parents are more likely to bring their children along when they eat out. With three children of my own, I am a staunch believer in the entire family dining together. There are occasions when my husband and I have a rare meal out alone, but more than ninety percent of the time, our family eats together, at home and in restaurants.

By restaurants, I don’t mean kid friendly places like McDonald’s and Pizza Hut but the traditional sit-down places that may be chains like Red Lobster or Olive Garden or local eateries. Although many people are afraid to take their children into a formal restaurant setting and exist on fast food throughout their kids’ childhood, it is possible to take kids to a nice restaurant and enjoy the experience.

Behavior is an important consideration. My kids know that if they were to act inappropriately in a sit-down restaurant that my husband or I would take them out to the car for a time-out. No one wants that humiliating experience, so my kids are generally on their top behavior when we eat out.

It is a good idea to find out if the restaurant serves kids meals, and if so, what selections are available. Most restaurants offers children’s menus with standard choices like chicken tenders and grilled cheese.

Another option for smaller children is to ask for an extra plate and service (silverware). This might sound cheap but it’s a common practice, and I never had any server turn down my request to feed tiny tots from my own plate.

If all else fails, bribe the kids with dessert and enjoy eating out with the family again!

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