Wallet-friendly baby foodI vividly remember being so excited to give each of my babies their first bite of real food. It's not only a rite of passage, it's hilarious - new textures, flavors, and messes to explore. But as their appetites increased, so did our grocery bills. It was a bit of a shock, really. Well, I got the chance to ask Kim Laidlaw, a San Francisco mom and cookbook author (including the soon-to-be released title Baby & Toddler On the Go) for some tips on putting good food in Baby's mouth, without taking too much out of mom's wallet. I hope they help you too!

#1: Make Your Own Baby Food
Making your own homemade baby food is not only economical (it's less expensive than purchasing single package servings), it also lets you choose exactly which ingredients to include in everything you make - keeping food free of unnecessary additives, preservatives, sweeteners, thickeners, and sodium.

#2: Make Meals in Bulk and Freeze Them
If you take the time to make homemade food for the family, why not make a

Rain or shine these crafts are perfect for spring time! Celebrate the new season with these nature themed crafts. Whether your little bug wants to take an adventurous nature walk or create an underwater garden, we have you covered. By Jennifer Cooper

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Parenting.com is proud to present the first season of comedy web shorts that, for better or worse, present a dad's-eye view of the playground. Share these videos onFacebook, email, or Twitter.

© iStockphotoBy Kimberly Horner

More bad news for kids with divorced parents - it turns out these kiddos may be more likely to smoke later in life than their peers with married parents, according to recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Toronto.

Plus: Raising Healthy, Happy Kids Through a Divorce

"Finding this link between parental divorce and smoking is very disturbing," said Esme Fuller-Thomson, lead author of the study in a news release.

The study analyzed the "adverse childhood experiences" and smoking habits of 19,000 adults, ultimately finding that those who were exposed to separation or divorce in childhood were more likely to smoke as adults.

When their parents divorced before their 18 th birthday, women were 39 percent more likely to smoke 100 or more cigarettes in their lifetime; men were 48 percent more likely to smoke.

Plus: Tips for Tobacco-Free Kids

Still, although this study did find a strong link between divorce and smoking, it in no way

Remember when Easter was a religious holiday? Before bunnies, baskets, and even Peeps, Easter was about celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ. In the spirit of going back to the holiday's roots, so to speak, we've pulled together a list of baby names inspired by the original Easter theme of resurrection. From religious figures to our favorite heroes from film and television, here are 8 baby names from the risen dead. - By Melinda Carstensen and Kim Thao Nguyen

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Quiet time after nappingI know plenty of people who have children that are champion nappers. But I am not one of those people, and my children are not those children. I am 100% certain my toddler will not be one of those children who takes their last afternoon nap the day before kindergarten starts. (This may be somewhat genetic - my mom said all five of her children had given up naps by 18 months. The horror!).

Of course, even if my daughter is making progress toward giving up her naps, I am certainly not ready to give up that precious time in the afternoon where all is quiet in our little home and I can get some things done on my own or simply read a book in peace.

And so, we've started instituting quiet time. Right now, she naps nearly every day, still, but often for only about an hour. The remaining time is quiet time, whether that's five minutes some days or more than an hour on others. It helps that she's still in a crib - we'll see how it goes once she's in a bed.

Eventually, she'll do nothing but

It's almost April Fools' Day - that time of year when it's okay to trick your friends and family. We have some clever ideas to help pull one over on your little jokers! By Holly Homer

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Courtesy of ParentingFor April Fool's Day, Parenting.com asked kids to tell us their favorite jokes.