Articles written by Melanie Marten

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About me - Melanie Marten

Melanie L. Marten is self-taught and self-employed. Besides freelance writing, she dabbles in website design and owns dozens of websites and blogs. Work is squeezed in between parenting two boys, homeschooling, feeding fish and, occasionally, sleep. www.MelanieLMarten.com

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Parenting & Pregnancy > Problems Parents Face Single parents: How to choose a daycare center: 1 of 19
Single parents do not usually have the luxury of being a stay-at-home parent. Choosing a quality daycare center is vital to their children's safety, socialization and early education. How can single parents make a child care choice with limited time and, possibly, a limited budget? The combination of affordability and quality... More..
Arts & Humanities > Internet Writing & Blogging Starting a blog to make money: 1 of 15
Blogging is huge. Millions of blogs populate the web with constantly updated information and entertainment about every possible topic. You can blog for fun, for family, for your own personal enjoyment, or to make money. Blogging to make money has become one of the most popular reasons for starting a blog. Blog to Make Money -... More..
Arts & Humanities > Thoughts on Writing Writing tips for creating a fictional world: 2 of 27
Creating fictional worlds can be one of the most enjoyable parts of writing. Done most often in fantasy and science fiction genres, it is also necessary in mainstream fiction. Many writers create believable, a realistic worlds based on areas they know that without using actual place names. No matter if you are writing specula... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Parenting (Other) How much to pay a babysitter: 1 of 13
When your children need babysitting care, you don't want to sacrifice quality for the sake of saving a few dollars. Even in these tough economic times, it is important to pay a babysitter as much as they are worth. However, you do not want to overpay and waste your money. Determining how much to pay a babysitter depends upon ... More..
Hobbies & Games > Kids Crafts Kids crafts: Crafty uses for broken crayons: 2 of 22
Three Kid's Crafts to Do With Broken CrayonsSome of the most omnipresent things scattered about a child's room are broken crayons. What starts out as a bright box of sharpened coloring tools quickly degrades into bits and pieces of lumpy wax. Most people simply throw broken crayons into the garbage. To stop this waste, howeve... More..
Health & Fitness > Diet Tips How to lose weight fast: 2 of 17
There are many reasons why people want to lose weight fast: last minute invitations to a party, an up-coming reunion, or just to catch the eye of the hot new co-worker. While losing weight fast is not recommended for health reasons, you can still safely shed the pounds in a short amount of time. The secret is to choose a heal... More..
Home & Garden > Plumbing Repairs Fixing leaky pipes: 1 of 8
Six Quick Ways to Stop Leaks in Water Pipes. Even a small leak in a water pipe in your house can cause big damage and greatly increased water bills. If the leak is small enough, you do not have to call the plumber right away. Follow one of the six methods below to stop the leak in the water pipe fast.Fix Leaking Pipes TapeThe... More..
Arts & Humanities > Writing & Rating at Helium How frequently should a Helium member write?: 3 of 23
Freelance writers need to consider two things when deciding how frequently a Helium member should write: how much money they want to make, and how many articles they can write without sacrificing quality.Increasing quantity of written articles on Helium will most likely increase your payouts. Since income is determined by pag... More..
Relationships & Family > Successful Dating Great cheap date ideas: 2 of 15
Its not only families who have to pinch pennies to make their paychecks stretch through the month. Frugal living for singles is becoming a popular method of getting by in this tough economy. For single people struggling to make ends meet, the idea of paying for extravagant dates can push them right out of the relationship poo... More..
Parenting & Pregnancy > Parenting (Other) Adjusting house rules when children have a babysitter: 2 of 14
When parents go out and the babysitter comes in to watch the children, it might help to ease the transition if you adjust the house rules slightly. That is not to say that you should completely throw the rules out of the window. Some parents may feel that being lax on rules will turn their children into brats, or make it more... More..