Topic: Housework and Homemaking

6 styles of parenting from around the globe

In 'How Eskimos Keep Their Babies Warm,' writer Mei-Ling Hopgood explores parenting customs from other cultures.

Four ways to survive heat wave – and keep energy bills down

As America blasts its ACs and put its fans on overdrive to try to cope with the heat wave, it will use a lot of energy – which costs a lot of money. More than 40 percent of a typical home’s utility bill goes toward cooling costs.

Here are four tips for keeping energy costs down and still staying cool.

Can Adam Smith save your marriage? Four steps of 'Spousonomics'

Every marriage is a little business. "Economics is about how to allocate scarce resources," says Paula Szuchman, coauthor with Jenny Anderson of "Spousonomics: Using Economics to Master Love, Marriage, and Dirty Dishes." "That's what married people are trying to do, given that they have limited resources – time, money, patience." Marriage experts and even economists aren't ready to replace Dear Abby with Adam Smith. "Marriage is more than an economic transaction." says Raymond Fisman, a Columbia University economist. Still, he's a fan of the book. Test these four economic principles on your marriage:

Eight low-tech ways to revive broken gadgets

Mouthwash. Rice. A handful of quarters. What do these household items have in common? They constitute the perfect emergency-repair kit for gadgets. When device disasters strike and warranties turn their backs on you, it's time to get in touch with your inner MacGyver. So, here are eight low-tech solutions to high-tech disasters.

American Innovation: 13 Born-in-the-USA inventions

There is a long history of innovation in America's relatively short existence; from lone inventors experimenting in garages to collaborating and competing with international scientists. Many of the following 13 inventions have become fixtures in daily life.

The 10 weirdest uses for a smartphone

If you're using your smartphone only to make calls, check your email, surf the Web, manage your schedule, take photos, shoot video, listen to music, watch movies, navigate via GPS, play video games, and update your Twitter and Facebook statuses, then you're really nothing more than a Luddite.

Teach your kids about money: 9 dos and don’ts

Most Americans don’t have a rainy day fund, haven’t saved enough for retirement, and aren’t prepared to fund their children’s college education, according to a 2009 survey from the FINRA Investor Education Foundation. How can we prevent future generations from making the same mistakes? Teach kids about money. The US Department of Education has teamed up with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and National Credit Union Administration to promote financial literacy in schools across the country. Parents have a role, too. Here are nine do’s and don’ts to get your children started

Meg Whitman and the perils of employing illegal help: six memorable cases

Meg Whitman, California GOP gubernatorial candidate, is alleged to have employed a housekeeper from 2000 to 2009 even though she knew the woman was in the US illegally. It's a political bombshell for Ms. Whitman. The politics of household employment and immigration have proved tricky before. Here are six prominent cases, plus the allegations against Whitman.

You’ve cut back. Your friends keep spending. What now?

Follow your priorities, not someone else's.

Due to smelly employee, Detroit city workers can't wear perfume

Detroit city workers should no longer wear perfume, cologne or aftershave.

Frugality and fresh food: a natural fit?

You can't always save money using natural food. The key is knowing your values.

My least-favorite garden chore

How to be clean and green

Parties promote natural, make-it-yourself alternatives to store-bought cleansers.

Father-son volunteer duo

Our summer community-service trips have brought us closer.

Chores for two: Men pitch in

At home, guys are tackling more and more domestic duties.