5 Questions to ask your child’s teacher during the end of the school year.

School is out soon…..the kids are on a long-awaited summer break but as parents and caretakers…. we are not. It would be nice wouldn’t it? Even though school is about to conclude, we have to remember to continue the communication with the folks that they are with 8 hours out of the day, 5 days a week. Continue reading

Summer Food Program

Citiparks Summer Food Service Program provides healthy and delicious breakfasts, lunches and snacks to all children up to 18 years old as well as mentally disabled individuals up to 21 years old.

This service is made possible by funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture through the Pennsylvania Department of Education. Continue reading

It’s that time!!!

I remember growing up and patiently waiting for our pear tree and our grapes to ripen. I loved the taste of fresh fruits and vegetables. I’ve grown to realize that a lot of our fruits and vegetables have pesticides and hormones in them and they seem to go bad so quickly. A top of that I’m not a fan of melons and fruits without the seeds in them……I just got fed up with supermarket fruits and veggies. I found reprieve in going to the Farmers Market. If anyone else feels the way that I do or just would like fresher fruit and would like to attend these local farmers markets, here is a local listing for Pittsburgh, PA: Continue reading

Confessions of a Broke Parent Part II…….I’m Broke and I Know It!

It took me a long time to realize that couponing wasn’t just for the elite but for those who needed to save money and indeed my family fit into that category with no question. With five growing children and a dog, I found that my grocery budget fluctuates like a Verizon bill (that is ‘sick of paying bills’ humor). Now I admit some months are better than others, for my family the winter time is always the most expensive. Those 2 hour delays and school closings surge the bill up. Continue reading

My Hoopty Rolling….Tailpipe Dragging, Heat Don’t Work…………

We all have had our fair share of vehicles. Rather they are not the best working or the fact that they are just too small for our big or growing families. Due to this being the beginning of the New Year and the start of tax season, a lot of families are looking for the perfect vehicle to get their family from point A to point B and off of public transportation (we all know that lugging kids on a full bus is in no way shape of way fun…an adventure but not fun).. Continue reading

Holidays are about family…..”No stress….Zone”

Tis the season…….for bills, debt and an amended 2014 law of Newton “What goes up must come down and When it rains………”. Everyone wants to discuss holiday cheer but the reality is not always cheerful. About 60% of African American families worry about making ends meet for and after the holidays. Rather you are a single mother of 2 or a co-parenting family of 6, society has a way of making this particular time of the year one we come to dread instead of celebrate. Continue reading

Happy Thanksgiving!

This Thursday a lot of us will be amongst family and friends getting ‘turkey and cranberry wasted’. But there will also be a lot of villagers that are not able to afford that same luxury or have a lot of family to celebrate with. In the opinion of most, Thanksgiving is a pagan holiday….. but take advantage of it as another opportunity for family to join together around the table. Family dinners are the staple of black families. We must continue to do so to keep the families strong rather you can do it on your own or you need some assistance.. Continue reading

Black Parent Confessional………

Forgive me Village, for I have sinned…….Who am I fooling…. we have all committed parent crimes. When I first became a mother, I was appalled at the fact that I had to take care of a human being with no instructions or manual. I would have at least appreciated a ‘How To’ tutorial. But reality set in and I realized that I had to improvise and sometimes do things that was……..unorthodoxed. Continue reading