As a new mother, you may have to deal with ‘baby blues’. Your body is undergoing major physical changes after birth of your baby. This may cause you to feel sad and depressed. These feelings are perfectly normal and should go away after several weeks. However, if you find that these feelings are getting more and more intense and are affecting your ability to care for yourself and your family, you should consult your doctor. You may be suffering from a condition of postpartum depression.

Parenting has its ups and downs, challenges and rewards. It’s a long road ahead raising a new baby up to its adulthood. It’ll be wise to learn as much as possible on how to raise healthy and happy kids. The more knowledge and skills you have, better parent you’ll become. It is an investment in their lives and yours.

No one can give you more than 24 hours in a day. But, it’s your choice in how you choose to spend that time. Even an extra 10 minutes a day is a worthwhile goal. Once you see benefits, you’ll be motivated to set additional goals.

Winter Comforts Now that you’ve set aside a few extra minutes each week, enjoy some of these winter activities with your family.

Start with dinner as a family. Make a new recipe. Let kids help in planning. Be sure to include some of their favorite foods.

Make one night a week Eat Dessert First Night.

Dedicate 30 minutes after dinner to family time. Buy a new board game, set up an ongoing jigsaw puzzle, read a story aloud together.

Bundle up and go on a family walk.

Make snow angels or build a snowman together.

Schedule one Saturday or Sunday a month as family day. Plan an outing. Try hiking, snowboarding, skating, movies, or a museum.

Take a drive in country and stop for a cup of hot chocolate before ride home.

Explore nearby towns or historic landmarks. Arm kids with cameras.

Start a family project to send to relatives next Christmas. Create a family cookbook or photo album.

Set aside an hour to bake a batch of sugar cookies. Pull out all of sprinkles and decorations.

Dedicate one day as Pajama Day. Let everyone stay in their PJs for entire day. Build a fire in fireplace, read books together, watch movies, play board games.

Enjoy your family and your new found time.

You have permission to reprint this article electronically or in print, free of charge, provided that each article is: 1. Printed in its full form with no changes 2. Includes an active link 3. A courtesy copy of your publication is sent to above contact 4. And following byline appears at bottom of each article: About Author: Rondi Hillstrom Davis is co-author of award-winning book Together: Creating Family Traditions. To check out her website that's jam packed with family ideas, visit To subscribe to her online newsletter, go to