It's no secret that Americans are busy, and getting together for dinner often seems like an extraordinary task. As food prices continue to increase, families are not only taking hits to their household budgets, they are experiencing long work hours, conflicting schedules and not finding enough time to cook a meal and have dinner together.

As first-time homebuyers grow curious about the home-buying process, they often turn to friends and family for advice about purchasing a home. While these sources can provide useful tips and information, they also may perpetuate some common home-buying myths.

The winter months between November and February are the peak months for home fires, representing nearly 37 percent of all residential fires annually. Experts agree that advance preparation and planning are key factors in increasing your chances of a good outcome should fire strike this winter.

Flu season is a time of year that many parents dread. It can be inconvenient and costly to take time off of work to care for a sick child and maintain a germ-free home during flu outbreaks in your community. But what many parents also don't realize is that the flu can be more than just a temporary nuisance; it is much more serious than the common cold, and can even cause death in some children. That is why getting a flu shot every flu season is so important, especially for children who attend child care.

In these tough economic times, every little bit counts when making household budgets stretch. Though money may be tight, there are many simple ways to save by trimming your grocery bill.

The clothesline is coming back. Americans are now looking at the clothesline, or solar dryer, as a way to save money on energy and clothing replacement costs, and reduce their impact on the environment.

Ask any child about their favorite playground activities and they may mention the swings, slides, bars or various other playground games and equipment. What you are not likely to hear from anyone, though, is anything about the surface they play on. Yet it is the foundation of all safe play on the playground, and something parents need to pay close attention to as their kids trot off to swing, jump and play games.