Often, as I wash my dishes or fold laundry, I imagine what I’d see if I could lift off the roofs of houses all over my neighborhood and get a bird’s-eye view. I’d see families doing a lot of the same things—standing at an open fridge wondering what to make for dinner, messing up the house and cleaning it back up again, reading bedtime stories—but in different ways.

In any given household people come up with brilliant ideas every day, just solving the problems of everyday living and parenting. But too often those great ideas become invisible as they become routine, and we don’t think about sharing them with each other.

Some of the most effective things I do in my own house and with my own kids are borrowed from innovative friends I’ve met over the years. I wanted to create a place for families to go when they face a tricky problem, to see how other families are solving that problem.

Each month, I pick a new topic about some aspect of motherhood, loosely organized into three categories: home management, parenting, and personal development. I research the topic and interview moms about how they approach that topic in their home, and then I share all that research with you.

My main goal is to make your life easier. Our community of moms thrives when you contribute, whether you have great ideas to share or just suggestions on future topics we should cover. Email me at whitney@howshemoms.com or visit my Contribute page.