Search Results for: blog put a fork in me

Creating Affordable Memories

  Not everyone can afford to take expensive winter trips to tropical locales to create magical family memories swimming with dolphins, paragliding over cobalt blue waves or cruising next to breaching whales. Heck, you may not even be able to pay for cable television, so that you can bond with your clan while watching “Home Alone” on ABC Family. I hear you. We live on a tight budget, so cable TV is not a luxury our family indulges in. While my young daughter would love nothing more than to cuddle up with the newest Disney characters, TLC reality stars, and … Continue reading →

The Lure of Used Cameras

My dream camera costs $3,000. I don’t have $3,000. Perhaps that’s why I don’t own my dream camera. Santa still hasn’t delivered my Dyson, so I’m thinking he probably isn’t going to be filling my stocking with a Nikon D800 any time soon. As much as reality bites, I know I am not alone. While there are dozens of high-quality, luxury DSLR cameras on the market, most people don’t have the funds to purchase them new. For shutterbugs looking to get their hands on cutting-edge picture-taking tools without breaking the bank, there is the used camera option. High-tech cameras can … Continue reading →

Alicia Silverstone’s Controversial Method of Feeding

When my son was little – eight months old or so – he would feed me. I’d put a Cheerio in his mouth and he’d let it get all soggy, then he would take it out of his mouth and feed it to me. It would gross my husband out, but when my son did this, I’d let him and begrudgingly eat the soggy Cheerio. After all, he was my baby, he didn’t know, and he was trying to feed me. Thankfully this phase didn’t last long. This week, we learned that actress Alicia Silverstone chews up her 10-month-old son’s … Continue reading →

Why Your Family Members Steal Ketchup Packets

Genealogists might notice that there are certain habits that seem to run in your family. Some of these things are learned, and some seem to have a genetic basis. Have you noticed that some of your relatives have a tendency to steal ketchup packets, or sugar packets, from restaurants? There could be several reasons why they do that. When you go to a restaurant with your family, you will notice that the restaurant has put out certain things that you can use without being charged for them. Often, this includes things like the little packets of sugar, (or sugar alternatives), … Continue reading →

Cheap and Easy Summer Fun with Kids

As I mentioned in a previous blog, you don’t have to fly to Disney or rent an expensive RV and hit the road on a two-week vay-cay to make lasting summer memories with your kids. If the struggling economy has you scaling back on your summer vacation plans, then consider sticking closer to home and bonding with your children while taking part in the following activities: Berry Picking Strawberry picking is a summertime tradition in our family. Each June, we drive to a nearby farm and pick pounds and pounds of fresh, juicy berries. The family-friendly activity is geared towards … Continue reading →

Homemade Happy Meals

“Mommy, I wish I could have a Happy Meal for lunch EVERY DAY!” exclaimed my 6-year-old while frantically waving around the new “Rio” toy she plucked from her McDonald’s bag. “Wouldn’t that be nice?” “It would be nice,” I replied thinking about how it would spare me from getting up even earlier than I already do each day to pack a school lunch that barely gets looked at, let alone consumed. “You told me that you aren’t hungry in school,” I pressed. “Well, I would eat all of my lunch if it had a toy in it,” she countered. Well, … Continue reading →

Eclipse by Stephenie Meyer

Eclipse is the third book in the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. This is a fun series focused on Bella and her relationship with a vampire Edward. What makes the story unique is that Edward’s family or coven is vegetarian. This means that they do not partake of human blood. Eclipse picks up just where New Moon drops off. Bella has just returned from rescuing Edward from the Volturi. Bella begins the book grounded as a result of taking off to Rome without Charlie’s permission. When Charlie agrees to end Bella’s punishment, he encourages Bella to continue her friendship with … Continue reading →

Frugal Spa at Home: Even More Natural Solutions

Natural beauty products can be good for your body and good for your wallet. You can get excellent results and pamper yourself without the chemicals and without the price of a spa. Just think, you could save up to $90 at home if you choose your own natural frugal spa solution rather than making a trip to the professional spa. This is my third post in this series. My husband loves to eat kiwi when it is nice and ripe. But there is another use for kiwi. If I can wrestle some away from the snack counter, I used it … Continue reading →

Merging Your Eating Habits

Unless the two of you met at an organic free-range food compound or an all-you-can-eat fried buffet, chances are pretty good that the eating styles of yourself and your spouse when you came into your marriage were different. You may not agree on the types of food you like, or even whether to eat out or at home. Aside from being short order cooks and making different meals or stocking food in separate refrigerators, how do you manage one household with two different approaches to meals? Here are some of the experiences of having two different eating styles, based on … Continue reading →

If I Didn’t Homeschool My Kids

If I had a dollar for every time someone said, “If you didn’t homeschool your kids, you would have more time for”… They always finish that sentence with something that serves them, or something that they thought was more worthwhile. I quit my Tae Kwon Do training when the instructor outright told me to put my kids back in school so I could spend more time volunteering at the center. I have stopped speaking to “friends” who told me homeschooling came in between our relationships. I have had to tell relatives that they their comments were selfish. Sometimes, even I … Continue reading →