I've reviewed quite a few websites for kids but there's a website called HighScoreHouse.com that parents can really appreciate. HighScoreHouse.com is a free online website rewards program used to get kids to do their chores, willingly.

HighScoreHouse.com is so easy to set up. It walks you through it step by step. You create an account for each child and customize it for your family with the family name and the kids names labeling their account. Parents are given a secret code that allows them to go in and make changes you don't want the kids to be able to do.

The OLHSA (Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency) has provided some home energy saving tips that help homeowners save money throughout the year.

Tips to help cut your energy costs include:

Have video games hurt childrens' potential in regards to creativity? I've talked about my battles with media, video games and the overall screen-time my kids gravitate toward. Sometimes I feel like I'm fighting a losing battle with video games always being picked over the toys that incorporate imaginative play. I recruited Jack Zagrodzki of the Doll Hospital and Toy Soldier Shop in Berkley to help give parents advice on how to select toys that stimulate creativity and learning, and that kids can enjoy as much as a video game or electronic toy.

I've posted a lot recently about kids and money. The more research I've done, the more I realize how possible it is to have positive influences on how kids handle their money very early in in their lives. The importance of instilling good money habits in children as early as possible is the key for future financial success. Whether your child is just entering pre-school or getting ready to embark on college, conversations about how to handle money can pay big dividends.

We have a very kind mailman who is so considerate of my kids. Every Halloween he brings them pumpkins from his farm and they have a blast carving them and displaying them outside for all the treak-or-treaters. Last year, he dropped off some cocoons for my kids so they could see the butterflies hatch. We set up a place for the cocoons and shot some video of the butterflies hatching (video below). Since it's butterfly hatching season again, he brought over 2 new cocoons this year.

Money and financial issues are widely discussed topics before bringing children into the world. Studies have shown that more and more couples are waiting to have kids for fear that they will not be able to afford them. And, it's no wonder when you look at the US Department of Agriculture's claim that a middle-income family could spend an average of $226,920 to raise a child born in 2010 to age 18, not including college.

I put together some interview questions for financial expert Jean Chatzky who shares her advice (have the baby!) and offers tips on how to budget for a baby. Jean Chatzky is an award-winning journalist and best-selling author, the financial editor for NBC Today, a contributing editor for More Magazine and a columnist for The New York Daily News. Huge thanks to our friends at Babycenter.com helped us coordinate the interview Here's the interview:

The Nature Conservancy has designed a nature scavenger hunt for kids of all ages to discover and learn about the environmental treasures in local parks and green spaces.

Just a few of the items on the checklists include:

You know a camp is great when your kids wake up raring to go each day and when it's over, they're already asking if they can do it again next year.

A friend of mine turned me on to the Woodside Bible Camp a few years ago. We've gone every year since and are always amazed by the quality and value of this camp. For $40, your child gets to spend the entire week Monday thru Friday from 9am-3pm with kids their age, fun summer camp counselors, and so many activities the car ride home each day is far from quiet. We will use this camp option as long as my kids are of age to do so. They even want to become future Woodside Bible Camp counselors.

There's a free phone app for moms that helps moms and kids organize a child's allowance. Prosperity4Kids just released a new free version of the A+ Allowance App. Assign your kids with jobs, decide how much they will earn, and watch them mature in understanding the importance of saving their allowance. Designed based on the It’s Only a Dollar Until You Add to It! Allowance Chart, this new application allows you and your child to: