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Maybe Means
Probably Not

Start your week laughing with Live Simply, Cozi's online family magazine.

Martha Brockenbrough shares her adventures in parenting and her humorous take on the life of a modern mom with her own Cozi mom blog.

When Crayons Explode

It's hard to remember to check every pocket of every piece of clothing that goes into the wash. After all, you might be cycling three loads a day! Sometimes a forgotten item causes no trouble, but other times, there might be a gigantic explosion of red wax .
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Is Nine The New Senior Citizen?

From their love of early dinners to their interest in discussing ailments, nine-year-old kids might actually have more in common with senior citizens than you might think. If you aren't aware of this phenomenon, it could be that you haven't had the opportunity to listen in on the conversation of a gaggle of nine-year-old girls.
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Fun Size My Life, Please

Fun size candy bars used to seem bigger. Now they're positively petite. Maybe the makers of fun size candy could arrange to fun size our piles of laundry, our insurance premiums and the general logistics of life. After all, it seems unfair for the bad stuff to get bigger just as the good stuff gets smaller.
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In Defense of Shouting

Shouting is the new spanking? That's according to new research that claims that kids whose parents shout at them are "affected." Isn't that kind of the idea? And, you probably don't need a research study to know that kids would prefer a shouting over a spanking. No one's advocating excessive shouting, but there's something to be said for an occasional shout.
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Here's To Non-Reality Families

After the recent craziness surrounding balloon boy and his family, maybe it's time to turn our attention to the non-reality families among us. After all, wonderful parents and strong families exist all around us. Why should we glamorize the circus acts when the non-reality families are doing the heavy lifting of good parenting day in and day out?
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Do We Need Two Dogs?

One dog seems like enough on the days when she tears up the garden, eats a slipper or needs an expensive trip to the emergency room. But, when she's in good form and those memories fade, I start to ponder the possibility of getting her a playmate.
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Picking a Pumpkin

The annual pilgrimage to the pumpkin patch is sure to bring lots of family fun, and might even lead to a yearning for country living. That is, until the sneezing starts.
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School Picture Day Snapshots

School picture day isn't just about remembering to put your kids in clean clothes for the big day, it's about exorcising the ghosts of picture days past, like the ones that haunt you from your school picture days.
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The Annual Halloween Costume Dilemma

For kids, dreaming up exciting Halloween costumes is almost as exciting as Halloween itself. Have fun with the process, and be prepared to end up with some extra costumes for the dress-up trunk.
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Seven Minutes to School Calendar Heaven

Would you believe that it took only seven minutes to enter two school calendars into Cozi? It's true! Find out long it will take you!
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Ducks Grow Up Fast

Kids say the funniest things, and just like little ducks, they grow up fast. Writing down those funny remarks now is the only way you'll remember them later, when your little ducklings have grown up and flown the coop.
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The New Christmas

With all the effort, excitement and cost that goes into preparing for the first day of school these days, it's become almost like the new Christmas for parents and kids alike. Martha even heard moms wish each other Merry Christmas in the school hallways!
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The Family Game of Twelvis

Twelvis is basically the game of tennis taken to a whole new level. Martha's family invented it, and your family might like it, too!
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The Parental Warning System

What if there were a parental warning system akin to the terrorism warning system? Would you be having a red day or a blue day with your kids?
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Fashion Victims

For every era, there are fashion regrets. Many 40-something moms now regret their big-hair perms of the '80s. Will the 20-something men of today eventually regret small, skinny jeans with underwear prominently displayed?
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Happy birthday, Lucy!

You can idealize childhood all you want, but I'm glad I'm a grownup, especially when the subject of birthday parties arises. These things can be minefields.
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Heat Wave

On a hot summer day, there's nothing better than a garden hose for cooling things down and entertaining the kids.
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Bringing Dad Home

Now that they've navigated the passport process, Martha and her family work on bringing their dad home from Tahiti.
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Good Luck When We Needed It

After learning of their dad's ATV accident in Tahiti, Martha and her brothers navigate the perils of the passport process to allow them to reach him.
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When the Calendar No Longer Applies

When tragedy strikes, the calendar no longer applies. In an instant, a previously planned family trip to the mountains is replaced with an unexpected journey to Tahiti.
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