Sonora Dodd of Spokane, Wash., conceived the idea of Father’s Day while she listened to a Mother’s Day sermon in 1909. Dodd wanted a special day to honor her father, William Smart, a widowed Civil War veteran who was left to raise his six children by himself on a rural... Read more →

When I entered my 50s, I began burning pans of food and teapots on the stove frequently. I decided I needed to change my habits when it came to how I operated the stove. I made a new rule: I would put the timer on every time I turned the... Read more →

In March, I wrote about an advertisement I received in the article “Honda Dealer Offers Questionable Promotion.” A large post card said you could win a $5,000 credit card, a plasma screen TV, or a gold collectible coin. I didn’t win a big prize, but the salesman did give me... Read more →

Since I signed up for Comcast last year, I wasn’t affected by change from analog signals to digital TV or DTV on June 12. However, I have an old TV set. The Comcast technician hooked me up through my DVD player because my TV didn’t have the right plug ins.... Read more →

Flag Day is observed on June 14 each year, although it isn't an official federal holiday. Congress authorized a red-white-and-blue flag with stars and stripes, the official national symbol of the United States of America, on June 14, 1777. In 1885, B.J. Cigrand, a grade school teacher in Waubeka, Wisc.,... Read more →

The recall of about 162,000 women’s full length Blair chenille robes is being re-announced, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission reports. Since the recall was originally announced in April 2009, six deaths due to the robes catching on fire have been reported to Blair LLC, of Warren, Pa. Five of... Read more →

Before Mother’s Day, I wrote a tribute to baby boomers having babies. My niece Debra decided to have a baby when she was 50, making me aware of the joys and challenges of being a boomer and having a new baby. Laura Petrie saw the post and left me a... Read more →

One of the most popular articles I’ve written as a consumer journalist was about food storage. I invited an inspector from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to examine my family’s cupboards and refrigerator. He then told me what we were doing right and what needed improvement. My column appeared... Read more →

My daughter recently had a discussion with her friends on how often you should put clean sheets on your bed. Some said weekly. Others said twice a month. One said she did it every so often. My daughter suggested I blog about it. A poll on mothering.com reported 227 readers... Read more →

About 2,300 National and Sanyo hand-held hair dryers are being recalled, reports the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Imported by Vintage International Inc., of Hacienda Heights, Calif., the hair dryers were manufactured in Thailand. The hair dryers aren’t equipped with an immersion protection device to prevent electrocution if the hair... Read more →