From a broken arm or an unexpected cavity to weekly therapy sessions or prescription medications, it's alarming just how quickly healthcare expenses can pile up for families. And, as a parent who has opened more than one jaw-dropping medical bill, I was totally intrigued when I first read about Sesame, the affordable direct-to-patient healthcare marketplace that's making medical expenses more transparent and affordable. Urgent care appointments starting at $26? Tell me more...

Sesame's easy to use website lets you search for, book, and pay for doctor visits and medical services in the Houston area and beyond, all with clear upfront pricing. With no membership fees, no insurance mark-ups, and no surprise bills in your mailbox, you can use Sesame to book in-person and telehealth visits directly with doctors across 40+ specialties.

By allowing the practitioners to set their own prices, eliminating administrative costs, and cutting the restrictive health insurance red tape, Sesame says visits booked on the platform can be up to 60% more affordable than when using health insurance. And, while the marketplace was created with people who are uninsured or underinsured in mind, anyone can use the platform and benefit from the conveninece and transparency it provides. 

Fight summer slump by creating an interactive adventure map with your kids that turns your backyard, neighborhood, or nearby park into a one-of-kind adventure!

Taking inspiration from Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Adventure—a sharp, funny, fantastical addition to the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series from #1 international bestselling author Jeff Kinney—a hands-on map can take kids on a journey of epic proportions. Read on to find out how to make your map and where you can snag Rowley Jefferson’s other chart-topping books, plus the rest of the Wimpy Kid collection.

Keeping up with ever-changing COVID-19 guidelines has been hard for parents and, with the world starting to reopen, we're all trying to figure out once again where our kids fit into the picture. Now that summer's here, parents of young children just want to know what activities they can safely do and what they still need to sit out while the under 12 crowd remains unvaccinated.

At Connecticut Children's—the only health system in the state that's 100% dedicated to children—pediatric experts have been monitoring the COVID situation very closely since the start of the pandemic. Read on for helpful guidance from some of Connecticut Children's top specialists, as we all try to navigate this "next normal" with our families.