Home
>
Parenting
>
Back to School; Time to Recharge

Back to School; Time to Recharge

The back-to-school shopping is done. Brand new pencils, colored markers, and notebooks fill my daughter's back pack. I've cleaned off the refrigerator in preparation for the new onslaught of pictures and class notices. School's started. She is excited to be back amongst her friends. I find myself in the everyday routine of waking up in the dark, fixing breakfast and packing lunches. Even though my daughter is old enough to drive herself to school this year, I still rush out the door behind her dressed in sweat pants and no makeup. After a quick work out and a shower, my work day finally begins. It's good to be back in the routine.

But, back-to-school is also time to recharge the parenting batteries. The kids are gone until at least 3:00. The house is quiet. I actually get some work done for the first time in 3 months. I've signed up for an art class at the local university. I have time for lunch with my girlfriends.

This month, why not celebrate back-to-school by taking a few minutes for yourself? Put on your favorite CD and take a long leisurely, uninterrupted bath. Why not go for coffee with the girls or host a brunch for your neighborhood friends? Try something decadent, just for mom.

Foaming Chocolate Milk Bath Sachets

Enjoy a relaxing, aromatic moment to yourself.

Ingredients:

1 cup baking soda

1 cup instant nonfat dry milk

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 tablespoons cinnamon

2 tablespoons cream of tartar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

Vintage handkerchiefs or

Pretty 10-inch square scraps of fabric

Ribbon

Directions:

1. Mix all of the ingredients together.

2. Place about 3 tablespoons on the center of a pretty cloth handkerchief.

3. Tie the bundle with a piece of ribbon.

4. Hang the sachet over the bathtub faucet and let warm water run through it.

5. Store the extra milk bath in an attractive airtight jar. It will keep up to 6 months.

_________________

You have permission to reprint this article electronically or in print, free of charge, provided that each article is:

1. Printed in its full form with no changes

2. Includes an active link

3. A courtesy copy of your publication is sent to the above contact

4. And the following byline appears at the bottom of each article:

About the Authors: Rondi Hillstrom Davis and Janell Sewall Oakes are the co-authors of the award-winning book Together: Creating Family Traditions. To check out their website that's jam packed with family ideas, visit http://www.togetherparenting.com

To subscribe to their online newsletter, go to http://www.togetherparenting.com

tidy up service Glenview ..

In The News:

Criminals test stolen data by applying for deposit accounts in victims' names to prepare bigger attacks. Learn why banks won't share fraud details.

New study of 10,500+ kids reveals early smartphone ownership linked to depression, obesity, and poor sleep by age 12. Earlier phones mean higher risks.

A phone phishing attack compromised Harvard's alumni and donor database, marking the second security incident at the university in recent months.

AutoFlight's zero-carbon floating vertiport uses solar power to charge eVTOL aircraft while supporting emergency response, tourism, and marine energy maintenance.

A new phone return scam targets recent buyers with fake carrier calls. Learn how criminals steal devices and steps to protect yourself from this fraud.

New Anthropic research reveals how AI reward hacking leads to dangerous behaviors, including models giving harmful advice like drinking bleach to users seeking help.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Holiday email scams, including non-delivery fraud and gift card schemes, spike in November and December, costing victims hundreds of millions, the FBI says.

Holiday visits offer the perfect opportunity to help older parents with technology updates, scam protection and basic troubleshooting skills for safer digital experiences.

Swiss scientists create grain-sized robot that surgeons control with magnets to deliver medicine precisely through blood vessels in medical breakthrough.

Researchers exploited WhatsApp's API vulnerability to scrape 3.5 billion phone numbers. Learn how this massive data breach happened and protect yourself.

Travel companies share passenger data with third parties during holidays, but travelers can protect themselves by removing data from broker sites and using aliases.

Xpeng's humanoid robot moves so realistically that crowds believed it was fake, marking a major advancement in robotics technology ahead of 2026 commercial launch.

Researchers discover phishing scam using invisible characters to evade email security, with protection tips including password managers and two-factor authentication.

iPhone and Android users can reduce battery drain and data usage by restricting Background App Refresh to Wi-Fi connections instead of mobile networks.

Scammers nearly stole an Apple account by exploiting the support system with authentic-looking tickets and phone calls, users can protect themselves with safety steps.

FoloToy restored sales of its AI teddy bear Kumma after a weeklong suspension following safety group findings of risky and inappropriate responses to children.

Threat intelligence firm Synthient uncovers one of the largest password exposures ever, prompting immediate security recommendations.

Viral video shared by Elon Musk shows Tesla's Optimus humanoid robots performing tasks from cooking to construction, garnering over 58.5 million views on social media.

Chinese hackers used Anthropic's Claude AI to launch autonomous cyberattacks on 30 organizations worldwide, marking a major shift in cybersecurity threats.

Apple's new Sleep Score feature gives you a rating for your nightly rest quality. Learn how to set it up on your Apple Watch and iPhone today.

Essential phone settings to enable before losing your device, including Find My network, location services and security features for iPhone and Android.

The Fox News AI Newsletter gives readers the latest AI technology advancements, covering the challenges and opportunities AI presents.

Cybersecurity research shows weak passwords remain a major threat, with simple patterns and number sequences putting millions of accounts at risk.

New Android malware BankBot YNRK silences phones, steals banking data and drains crypto wallets automatically. Learn how this advanced threat works.

Back to School; Time to Recharge

Parenting