Blog Posts by Charlene Prince Birkeland, Shine staff

photo credit: objective ministriesScience fairs are on the brain. I first though that the cool dude channeling hip hop with his "Drop It Like It's Hot" project was the shiz. But a kid by the name of Jonathan Goode, well, he just wins not only the red ribbon. He gets the ginormous, metallic gold-sprayed trophy that has the name of his project engraved on the front: "Women Were Designed For Homemaking."

Goode was in seventh grade in 2001 when he developed this project for the Fellowship Baptist Creation Science Fair. He tested out his theory buy applying "findings from many fields of science to support his conclusion that God designed women for homemaking: physics shows that women have a lower center of gravity than men, making them more suited to carrying groceries and laundry baskets; biology shows that women were designed to carry un-born babies in their wombs and to feed born babies milk, making them the natural choice for child rearing; social sciences show that the wages for women workers are lower than for normal

photo credit: drstarbuckDo you feel like your kids are growing up too fast?

Heh. Welcome to parenthood.

Parents of tweens and teens are worrying about a different kind of "growing up to fast," like experiencing late nights out with friends, sex and alcohol at a young age.

A recent poll in Britain of 1,170 parents with children under the age of 18 found that 55 percent of moms and dads felt their kids lost their childhood once they entered secondary school.

But while these same folks feel like their kids are leaving their baby shoes behind way too soon, 45 percent of the parents said they let their 16-year-olds sleep at a boyfriend or girlfriend's house. And 71 percent allow their children to drink alcohol at home.

Does "Just say no!" ring a bell? Oh wait, 71 percent of the moms and dads polled said their kids have little regard for authority. 'Nuff said.

Via AFP.

You're pregnant. You keep hearing about couples who save their baby's placenta after birth. You're too scared -- and a little creeped out -- to ask them any questions, yet you're still pondering whether or not you should do the same thing. Mostly, you're wondering what you'd do with a giant glob of red, vein-y leather.

Noodle on these ideas. You can thank us later.

1. Make into to beauty products. Mmmm....lathery shine.

2. Freeze it. Yup, right next to the nasty, crumbly wedding cake you could never bring yourself to eat and all the leftover pumped breastmilk you can't bear to throw away.

3. Bury it. Preferably behind the willow tree you planted in honor of your beloved babe, aptly named Willow. Just be sure to keep that part of the yard fenced off from Spot or you will have a lot of explaining to do the kid, the hubs and your oogied-out neighbors.

4. Eat it, preferably freeze dried and put into a tiny capsule. Or in a cake.

5. Bronze it and leave it on your mantel for all to

Photo via Associated PressYou know new mom and dad, Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony, are getting tips from best buds Katie Holmes and Victoria Beckham. But yo, rapper Snoop Dogg, wants to add his two cents of parenting juice (we're not sure if it's with or without the gin).

Snoop, who stars in the E! reality show, Fatherhood, told OK! magazine, "One baby at a time," he said. "She's going to have a good time with it. Babies are beautiful, especially having two at one time. I wish her luck, and that her babies remain safe and healthy."

Now that I've seen the BBC 's Snuff Box video, I'm a rapper with a baby, I don't think I'll ever be able to look at a dad in a Baby Bjorn with a straight face. Warning: One, there's a few F-bombs tossed around and two, be prepared to have this song stuck in your head.

My seventh grade science fair project still makes me cringe. Did I really think I could tell if a full moon made people act more little loopy than normal? I can't even remember what I named it, but I fully recall what my peeps sang whenever they walked by: "The Freaks Come Out at Night" by Whodini.

And yet? And yet...my project is just a silly speck compared to these 41 hilarious science fair experiments posted over at photo basement. Sure, "Crystal Meth: friend or foe?" is compelling stuff. My red ribbon, however, goes to the kid with his burgandy blazer adorned with his school crest, who managed to channel Snoop Dog and Pharrell with "Drop It Like It's Hot."

The shizz.

You know you're a parent when you understand every single word and phrase said by this 3-year-old Star Wars movie buff. After watching her "Don't talk back to Darth Vadar, he'll git'cha!" line, I can't wait to see her take on The Empire Strikes Back.

Side note -- is it me or is 3 a little young for Star Wars? I'm just askin.

I'm all about making more time to spend with my family. It's no secret, their tops in my book. But lemme tell ya' -- organizing your life to make that time is hard work, sister.

Zen Habits blogger and author Leo Babauta offers 10 ways to find more time for your family, "no matter how busy you are." Leo has six kids so like EF Hutton, when he talks, parents listen. Leo knows his shiz.

Just reading Leo's 10 tips for more family time make me feel calm and peaceful. And the tips? Most are totally do-able so darn simple.

A few of my favorites that are easy to slip into your routine:

• Do less. "...stick to three important projects at a time."Tough for the multi-taskers, though.
• Schedule kids-only time first. This is what Leo calls "work-free time" where you have a zoom focus on your kidlings.
• Learn to say no. One of the best possible lessons for a parent to learn.