Melody Warnick

Families and Parenting

Happy Baby, Head to Toe
Parenting, April 2009
A collection of easy tricks -- from singing "You Are My Sunshine" every night to playing peekaboo and flashing a goofy grin -- that get your cute little monster smiling big. Read more.

Citizen Kids
Better Homes and Gardens, October 2008
I'm a political junkie, so I loved working on this election-season story about getting kids and teens involved in politics. I even wrangled statements from Barack Obama and John McCain on what first got them interested in political life. Read more.

Mommy Meltdowns
American Baby, August 2008
This story explores the magical world of temper tantrums: yours and your child's. I offer plenty of creative tips for calming down both of you when emotions run high (and from real-world experience, I know they work). Read more.

6 Ways to Tame Tears
American Baby, October 2007
There's no avoiding it: babies cry, sometimes for hours a day. But as parents, we're hardwired to do anything we can to make it stop, whether that's changing a diaper, offering a breast, or launching into a favorite John Mayer song. Read more.

Home and Organizing

Help! I Can't Get Rid Of...
Woman's Day, June 16, 2009
Dirt may be public enemy number one, but it isn't the only culprit behind messes that keep coming back: grease on the stovetop, scum on the shower walls, stains and spills on counters. Don't declare defeat just yet. Our fast tips will help you fight back against your worst cleaning foes -- no elbow grease required. Read more.

Too Much Stuff!
Woman's Day, January 2009
For this story for Woman's Day magazine, I consulted a handful of experts for tips on getting rid of the clutter that we have the hardest time letting go: emotional attachments, potential money makers, incomplete projects and fixable items. Read more.

Get Organized Now: Start the Year Off Right
Parenting, February 2008
Your New Year's resolution: organize everything right this second (or at least before January 3rd). Here's a more realistic approach. Read more.

The Intelligent Kitchen
Smart Homeowner, January/February 2006
Ever since the Jetsons produced a three-course meal with the push of a button, homeowners have been waiting for their own kitchens to enter the space age. It looks like that's finally about to happen. Read more.

Relationships and Psychology

Less-Stressed Kids
Better Homes and Gardens, February 2008
Like most kids his age, 15-year-old Mason Saliba Smith has a schedule that sounds like an anxiety attack on paper. But when he gets home each day, Mason takes a few minutes in his bedroom to sit calmly, spine straight, and meditate, a practice he learned from his yoga teacher. Read more.

Can We Talk?
Better Homes and Gardens, November 2006
If meaningful discussions are getting to be rare occurrences in your family, you don't have to resign yourself to lackluster chitchat. "With a little effort, we can revive the art of conversation in our own homes," says Debra Fine, author of the The Fine Art of Small Talk. Read more.

The New Parents' Relationship Survival Guide
Pregnancy, December 2005
Of all the things I had to worry about before my daughter, Ella, was born, the state of my marriage didn't even show up on the list. But for weeks after her arrival, it wasn't the off-and-on squalling or the endless feedings that had me in a major funk. It was my relationship with my husband. Read more.

Personal Finance

5 Best Ways to Get Credit Card Rewards
CBSMoneyWatch.com, July 2010
Not all credit card rewards are created equal. In this article, I share how to pick a winner. (Want my opinion? Go for the cash.) Read more.

Add a Statement to Your Credit Report
CreditCards.com, November 2008
Didn't know you could add a statement to your credit report to explain errors or problems? Neither did I. But it's a surprisingly controversial practice. I explored the dos and don'ts in this story for CreditCards.com and provided sample statements available at the website. Read more.

Why Students Pay for College with Credit Cards
CreditCards.com, October 2008
When money gets too tight for tuition, a growing group of students and their families break out the plastic, according to a recent survey. Experts and cardholders seem to agree that credit cards should only be a last-ditch financing tool. However, if you find yourself facing that situation, you do have options to help ease your burden. Read more.

Bad Habits That Help You Save
For Me, May 2006
Bad habits can cost you. (How many times have you been socked with late fees after forgetting to pay your bills on time?) But sometimes, says Mary Hunt, author of Live Your Life for Half the Price, your personal foibles can actually help you save cash. Read more.

8 Tips for House-Hunting on Vacation
Bankrate.com, April 2005
You're on vacation. Lounging at the pool. Reading the novel of the summer. Maybe throwing back a few mai tais and ... checking out the local real estate market? Read more.

Profiles and Travel

Spring Break 101
Better Homes and Gardens, March 2009
You thought your high schooler's soaring stress levels were worrisome enough, until she came to you with her idea of a breather -- a spring break trip with friends, no parents allowed. Now you're the one who's stressed. Read more.

A True War Hero
Ladies' Home Journal, August 2008
This profile of a woman who adopted the military working dog of her son, a soldier who was killed in Iraq, was heart-wrenching--and inspiring--to write. Read more.

A Lesson in Love
Ladies' Home Journal, April 2007
Susan Lawrence, an elementary school special education teacher in her hometown of Carlisle, Iowa, has always had a strong faith in God. But she never expected that her pet would lead her down a new spiritual path. Read more.

Furniture the Old-Fashioned Way
American Profile, March 18, 2007
At RVP-1875, the 3-year-old furniture shop and museum he owns in Story City, Iowa (pop. 3,228), Robby Pedersen's goal isn't speed, or even perfection. It's authenticity. Read more.

Health and Wellness

Pick Your Own
Better Homes and Gardens, July 2006
For kids who think green beans grow in the supermarket's produce section, a morning spent at a pick-your-own farm not only gets them in touch with the real thing, it may inspire a slightly more adventurous palate. Read more.

Looks Aren't Everything
Self, August 2005
We all automatically reach for the prettiest fruit and vegetables, but, as with so many things, there may be good reasons to ignore your shallower instincts. Read more.