North State Parent magazine

Be the Change - Alice McFadden, Redding It's 8:00 p.m. Tuesday night. Alice McFadden is at home patiently answering all my late night questions when her cell phone rings. "I might have to go," she tells me. She answers the phone, converses in Spanish and ends with two English words: "call me." Read more...

Got Solar? Considering Your Renewable Energy Options Whatever your reasons or your budget, researching and investing in alternative or renewable energy sources such as wind, solar or hydroelectric can shift your perspective in new and exciting directions. Read more...

Drought-Tolerant Gardening In Upper California Drought-tolerant gardening in our area is gardening in harmony with our local ecology and the climatic factors we really live with. Look at the natural landscape that surrounds us. Are its plants receiving 10-20 minutes of water daily in the summertime? Hardly. Are they still beautiful? Yes! Read more...

My Unique Knitting Cottage Industry Ever since I can remember, I have always loved art. Growing up in the forest by Castella, CA, living in the nature, I enjoyed going out to the creek and walking around in the woods inspecting things around me. I would draw pictures of some of the things I found, or places I enjoyed sitting at to think. Read more...

Decorating Your Home On A Budget - Four Simple Ways To Uplift Your Space You can decorate your space without sacrificing style. Here are four simple ways (and some tips) to creatively spruce up your space without breaking the bank, and while staying green and saving green!  Being a mom for over half of my life has taught me a few tricks. Read more...

Let Peace Begin at Home – The Do’s & Don’ts of Emotionally Intelligent Parenting Maybe you've read about emotional intelligence and yet after reading the books you're still left with the challenge of applying the principles to your life. What happens when you feel challenged by your child's behavior? Do you lose your mind? Does your blood boil? Read more...

So, What’s a VOC? Things To Know About Choosing Safe Paints Humans have been decorating their homes for over 40,000 years. Early cave dwellers, probably those who were about to give birth and had a strong urge to nest, ground natural dyes into water and painted the walls with their fingers. Read more...

529 Plans: Saving for College is Simpler Than You Think College costs are marching along, too-upward. And parents need to be prepared, says Ron Goldner, a fee-based financial planner with Wealth Strategies Group, Inc. in Memphis, Tennessee. Read more...

Choosing a Daycare for Your Child When you are choosing childcare there are many things to consider, including your child's personality. Researching a facility's approach to different temperaments will ensure a happier experience for your child when your child is away from home. Read more...

Helping Kids to Learn How to Save for Big Ticket Items. Wouldn't it be fantastic if every idea about something we wanted magically happened? We wouldn't have to do a thing except think: "I want... a swimming pool... an iPod... a new computer..." This is how many kids think. Adults know, however, that simply wishing for something doesn't make it so, and that setting realistic goals sure helps.  Read more...

Slow to Speak? What’s Normal and When Should You Worry? When Michelle Tanner's daughter was 2 years old, she didn't says much outside of "no" and "baba." "Compared to her sister, and the kids in playgroup who are blurting out sentences, I started thinking her speech was delayed," the mom of two says. Read more...