Simple, Superb Suppers
Less fussing in the kitchen for the hostess, more time for relaxing around the table with guests.
By Daryl Hoole

The Guilt Quilt
Elder Russell M. Nelson, once counseled in a talk on marriage that in the case of conflict, the nicest one will apologize first.
By Daryl Hoole

Food Bytes 2009: What the Media Reported on Families, Food, Fat and Fitness
Was 2009 a good year for families eating dinner together, eating healthier foods, getting thinner, and staying fit? In some ways, yes it was.
Janet Peterson

How About a Gift from You to You, Yourself This Christmas?
One of my Christmas joys is to give myself a gift each year. How about doing the same for yourself?
By Daryl Hoole

A Quilt for Every Computer: Adding the Soft Touches of Love to Our Homes
As helpful as technology is in our lives, our homes must be also be filled with the soft touches.
By Daryl Hoole

There’s No Substitute for _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
We all know how to fill in the blank. It’s preparation. Here are tips that will calm life’s hectic frenzy.
By Daryl Hoole

Do the Right Thing Right
It is important to do the right thing, but it is also important to do the right thing right.
By Daryl Hoole

A Treasure Chest—or Keepsake Box—for Your Children
How would you like one solution that could work for several problems that might be of concern to you?
By Daryl Hoole

It’s Summer Time and the Cooking is Casual
It’s July and there’s a problem, at least in the Northern hemisphere: It’s too hot to cook, but the family is hungry and looking around for dinner. Here’s a solution.
By Daryl Hoole

Dollars and Sense
A clever magazine article was captioned, “How to Help Your Daughter Marry Money.” The answer: “Teach her how to manage money wisely.”
By Daryl Hoole

Motherhood: A Calling, a Commitment, and a Consecration
President Gordon B. Hinckley warmed our hearts when he paid tribute to women by saying, “My children are now all grown. Some are in their 60s.  But when they call and I answer the phone, they say, ‘How are you?' And before I can answer, they ask, ‘Is Mother there?'”
By Daryl Hoole

Teaching the Gospel to our Children with Jigsaw Puzzle Pieces
Teaching children the gospel of Jesus Christ can be compared, to some extent, to teaching them how to put a jigsaw puzzle together.
By Daryl Hoole

It's All in the List
Bring order out of life's chaos by making lists.
By Daryl Hoole

Laundry, Not Such a Chore
Cutting through the piles of laundry becomes much simpler with Daryl Hoole's organizational ideas.
By Daryl Hoole

Celebrating the “Firsts” in Our Lives
The latter days are not a time to fear and tremble.
By Daryl Hoole

The Three Levels of Christmas
There are three levels on which we can celebrate Christmas.  Are we at the level of Christmas trees and colorful packages, or of glorious Christmas carols and the story of the Nativity?  Or are we at a level even beyond those?
By Daryl Hoole

Guess Who's Coming to Dinner
There's an astonishing secret about how to keep your kids free of today's temptations.
By Daryl Hoole

Leaning on the Staff of Life
Bread is such a whole food that it symbolizes life itself.  Here are thoughts on bread, as well as a recipe for making bread of your own.
By Daryl Hoole

Women at the Well
You've heard of the Internet, but have you heard of the “Hairnet”?
By Daryl Hoole

Blind Spots
Blind spots! It's easy to become so desensitized to our surroundings or get so used to things as they are that we fail to see areas or items in our homes or yards that require attention.
By Daryl Hoole

The Pattern for a Gospel-Centered Home
In the dedicatory prayer of the Kirtland Temple in 1836, the Lord revealed the high standard of devotion he desired for his people as they endeavored to become temple worthy and visit his house. This is also the pattern for each of us to follow as we strive to establish gospel-centered homes.
By Daryl Hoole

Going Home
Whether it's going home after a busy day, returning home at the conclusion of an honorable mission, or the transcendent hope of going back home to our Father in Heaven at the end of a good life, going home can brighten our lives and warm our hearts.
By Daryl Hoole

Empty Nest Mothers
Once your fledglings have left the nest, here are some suggestions for dealing with feelings of loneliness and separation.
By Daryl Hoole

Evaluating Your Emphasis
Children are extremely perceptive in picking up the emphasis, or priority, of our homes and lifestyles, however subtle it may be. Think for a moment and be honest with yourself — how do you stress such things as education, music, sports, vacations, fun times, traditions, clean houses, good food, and material possessions?
By Daryl Hoole

Make This a Record Year
Chatting in the cloakroom of our ward building one Sunday, a friend said to me, “I stayed home from Sunday School last week and wrote my life story.” I was flabbergasted! How could someone do it so quickly? She must know more than I do!
By Daryl Hoole

The Empty Box
With all the thoughtfulness you expressed in selecting gifts for family and friends during the past Christmas season, did you take any thought about a gift for yourself? Seldom, if ever, do we give gifts to ourselves, but here is a gift that won't cost a penny — and that could give you a great deal of peace of mind.
By Daryl Hoole

Self-Reliance or Self-Sufficiency — Which Do I Want for My Children?
Should parents raise children who are self-sufficient or self-reliant?  There is a big difference between the two, and today's question and answer column shows that one is far preferable to the other.
By Daryl Hoole

Peace [On My Spot] on Earth
As mothers, we are the heart of the home, and as such it is within our realm of influence to foster peace in some very specific, practical ways in our homes. This we can do, in spite of challenges and problems, by helping things go right.
By Daryl Hoole

It’s Christmas All Month Long
Christmas is not just a day; it's a season. Here is a day-by-day countdown, with meaningful things you can do with your family to make the whole month shine.
By Daryl Hoole

How Much Do You Care?
Are you reliable, courteous, and grateful?  If you had been one of the ten lepers that Jesus healed, would you have been the one who thanked Him?  This easy quiz will give you an answer.
By Daryl Hoole

Can't Do It All
Some mothers bewail the fact that they can't do it all.  Other mothers are afraid they can't do any of it.  Here are some excellent survival tips for these beleaguered mothers.
By Daryl Hoole

How to Be an Elastic Woman
When the choice is bending or breaking, the time has come to learn flexibility.  Some things don't allow for any amount of compromise, but most of life allows us to change our plans to accommodate the ebb and flow of life.
By Daryl Hoole

Respecting the Family Cook
If children insist on eating junk food even though their mother makes all their food from scratch, how strict should be the parent be about upholding family rules?
By Daryl Hoole

A Time of Renewal
The casualness of summer has given way to some structure and a welcomed routine. The children are back in school. Projects that have been put off all summer are now getting attention. September is a time of renewal.  Is there something in your life that needs a new perspective?
By Daryl Hoole

Smart Shopping With Coupons
It's not enough to organize your coupons.  You can't save money with them unless you remember to take them to the store.
By Daryl Hoole

Finding Balance in Homemaking
The purpose of a home is to provide a setting that is conducive to the happiness and well-being of the family. Having a clean and orderly house can help facilitate this, but that should not become the goal in itself. The principle to be considered here is balance.
By Daryl Hoole

Projects for Children
Summer Solutions to Children’s Boredom and Messy Rooms
If you need summer solutions to children's boredom and messy rooms, look no farther. The solutions are here.
By Daryl Hoole

No Flitting
We've found the enemy! The "enemy" to successful home management, that is. In fact, there are at least four such enemies — situations and/or patterns that interfere with the smooth operation of a household.
by Daryl Hoole

How to Choose and Care for Toys
Buying children's toys is not as simple as picking out the first item you see in a toy store.  There are tricks to buying toys that children will use, and keeping them in a condition that assures they will be used for months and even years to come.
by Daryl Hoole

Teenagers and Household Tasks—Motivating Teens to Help at Home
Here are some key points that may be useful to parents in establishing a strong, positive, and mutually beneficial relationship with their teenagers with regard to household responsibilities. No kidding!
by Daryl Hoole

Age-Appropriate Chores for Children
Here is a list of age-appropriate chores for children, so your expectations can be realistic and the child will not feel overwhelmed, frustrated, or discouraged.
By Daryl Hoole

Twenty Tips for Teaching Children to Work
Learning to do less for your children so you can do more with them is a good maxim to live by in the home. Here are a few basic principles about teaching children the work ethic and then twenty tips for practical application.
By Daryl Hoole

Worn Out, or Just Broken In?
A worried mother wants to know if the fashion for wearing worn-out clothing is harmless, or if there is a darker side to the trend.
By Daryl Hoole

Winning the Paper War
In fighting the paper war, remember the old adage, "Less is more" — more order, more space, more efficiency, more time, more peace of mind.
By Daryl Hoole

How to Prepare a Missionary 
It was evident that what young people needed at home, prior to embarking on missions or leaving for college, was not just being taught to do a task, but being taught to do the task every time it needed doing. They needed to form the habit of doing the job.
By Daryl Hoole

It’s Spring Tune-up Time   
Many people do spring cleanings to get the house in tip-top condition. But a spring tune-up may be equally important as far as renewing your mind about the business of housework.
By Daryl Hoole

Daryl Hoole Answers Your Homemaking Questions
How do you influence someone who apparently sees no need in keeping an orderly home, and whose families may even be in danger because of their physical surroundings?
By Daryl Hoole

It's Like Walking Through Molasses
One wife and mother realizes that life does not stand still when Mom gets sick.  Somehow the pieces must be picked up so the family can go on.
By Daryl Hoole with Elaine Hoole Quinn

Answers to Homemaking Questions
If there is anything you want to know about the fine art of homemaking, Mormondom's own Heloise — Daryl Hoole — has the answers you seek.
By Daryl Hoole

A New Year’s Resolution for Mothers: Be of Good Cheer
If Mother is not happy, everyone in the family feels the negative effects. Husbands and children struggle. The entire family is disheartened and a feeling of discouragement prevails in the home. The tool the adversary uses to destroy or at least derail the righteous is discouragement.
By Daryl Hoole

A Christmas Gift for Mothers Beyond Measure
Even though a righteous father and patriarch in the home may declare, "As for me and my house, we will honor the Sabbath," it is generally the mother who manages the home in such a way that this can actually happen.
By Daryl Hoole

Traditions that Bind and Bless Families
Traditional events or activities may seem fairly insignificant standing alone, but put together and enjoyed time after time, they spell solidarity in family life. Blessed is the home that is rich in them.
By Daryl Hoole

Do Today’s Work Today
Whether the problem is procrastination, prioritization, organization, delegation, or whatever, most home managements tasks can get accomplished when you plan your work and then work your plan. A big step in making this happen is to do today's work today.
By Daryl Hoole

Power Phrases — Powerful Principles
Many families have their own personal repertoire of short sermons that teach a lesson in a dozen words or less. At our house I like to think of these one-liners as power phrases that stand for powerful principles. Here are some that have worked for us.
By Daryl Hoole

Make Way for Back to School
You have heard over and over that it is important to organize ourselves. Here are some ideas that will help even the stubbornest procrastinators do it in a way that they may find themselves having fun in the process.
By Daryl Hoole

The Priority Principle: Doing First Things First
A subtle but strong message is sent to our husbands and children when we keep house for the family and company is welcome anytime. In this way, our family feels like company and our friends feel like family.
By Daryl Hoole

How to Build a Better Kid: Summer Self-improvement Program for Children
It can be the best or the worst of times - just ask any mother whose children are on an extended break from school. Here are some suggestions for helping your children have a fabulous summer vacation.

The Top Job
My first stop was a fourth grade class. I held up my book and began to talk, only to realize I didn’t know what to say. How does one explain The Ultimate Career to ten-year-olds?