This post about celebrating high school graduation has been sponsored by Culver's. All opinions are my own. The school year is drawing to a close. It's hard to believe that the last 9 months have flown by so quickly. What makes this year particularly difficult is that I have a high school senior. There will be no going back for this guy. He is moving onward and upwards and will be heading off to college in a few months. His impending departure has me wanting to cling to every moment I have left with him. He is harder to hold on to as a … [Read more...]
Celebrating High School Graduation with Burgers, Tears, and Memories
May 30, 2018 by · Leave a Comment
Common Family Legal Issues and How to Speak with a Lawyer FAST
May 29, 2018 by · 2 Comments
This post about common family legal issues and tips on how to speak with a lawyer has been sponsored by LegalSpark. All opinions expressed here are my own. My husband and I recently updated our will. Since it hadn't been done for about 15 years, it was about time. 15 years ago, the kids were toddlers and we had far fewer assets so it was pretty easy. This time, we got some will making software and spent a few days making lists of assets. However, I found that I had legal questions and no one to ask them to! My son is 18... can he be … [Read more...]
How to Spruce Up Your Mailbox with Very Little Effort!
May 22, 2018 by · Leave a Comment
Ever look at your mailbox and think it needs a bit of TLC? Are the numbers peeling off and the paint chipping? If your mail is getting wet and your mailbox flowers are dead, I am going to share a few tips on how to spruce up your mailbox with very little effort! How to Spruce Up Your Mailbox with Very Little Effort! Understand Mailbox Rules Before You Start! We spent some time this weekend painting, repairing, and decorating our mailbox. We knew that our homeowners association had mailbox rules that we had to follow. I know, it is … [Read more...]
Happiness in Middle Age means Mountains and Motorcycles!
May 8, 2018 by · 5 Comments
This post about Happiness in Middle Age was sponsored by DePuy Synthes as part of an Ambassador Program for Influence Central and all opinions expressed in my post are my own. While my job keeps me at home and on the computer, I wouldn't say that my chair is my happy place. And as I have gotten older, I have come to appreciate moments of happiness more than ever. I see so many people my age suffering from illness or injury, dealing with the death of loved ones or the stress of job loss. Happiness is fleeting and not something to be tossed … [Read more...]
How to Prepare for a Camping Trip to Stay Safe and Have Fun
May 4, 2018 by · Leave a Comment
Camping is a wonderful way to spend time with the family. Getting outdoors and unplugging for a few days is a great way to reconnect with each other while you have some fun. Once you invest in the right gear, it also becomes a very inexpensive way to go on vacation. You can rent a campsite for significantly less money than you can stay in a hotel. Knowing how to prepare for a camping trip can make or break your outdoor experience. Heading into the woods unprepared can leave you with soggy socks and unhappy memories! Check out my hiking … [Read more...]
Preserving Your Family Photos and Other Digital Archiving Solutions
April 23, 2018 by · 5 Comments
This post about preserving your family photos and other digital archiving solutions has been sponsored by Doorstep Digital. All opinions expressed here are my own. For the last few years, I have gotten very neglectful about printing out all the pictures I take. I have ridiculous number of family photos on my computer and cell phone. I do have them backed up to my external hard drive, however, having only digital copies in my home makes me nervous. There are tons of old photos in my closet upstairs from when my children were babies. Digital … [Read more...]
Creative Ideas for Reusing Aluminum Foil
April 19, 2018 by · 5 Comments
Every time I make a batch of nachos, I start trying to come up with ways for reusing aluminum foil. Why? Because I detest cleaning cookie sheets after something has gotten baked on and stuck. My lazy way of dealing with this horrid chore is to line my cookie sheets with aluminum foil. Of course, that leaves me with used used aluminum foil that I hate to throw away. I usually try to wash and reuse it whenever possible but if I can't it usually goes in the recycle bin. (Can you recycle aluminum foil? I just assume so....) I decided to do a … [Read more...]
Balancing a Plentiful Life with Community Volunteering Keeps Kids Grounded
April 16, 2018 by · 7 Comments
This post about balancing a plentiful life with community volunteering has been sponsored by Reward Volunteers. All opinions are my own. I look around the area I live in and am both awed and slightly shocked by the wealth that surrounds us. My teens’ friends have homes with actual media rooms in them. Many had the newest iPhone by age 8. They often get brand new cars for their 16th birthday. This is not the way we raised our children. I don't want them to think this is common for most people. My husband and I are financially stable but … [Read more...]
How to Plan for Your Retirement When Money is Tight
April 9, 2018 by · 8 Comments
This post about how to plan for your retirement has been sponsored by GuidedChoice. All opinions expressed here are my own. When my husband and I first moved to Atlanta, we were in our late 20's. I was 7 months pregnant with our first child and we were broke. After 7 years as a graduate student, my husband had his first real job. Every single penny we owned went into our first mortgage. We also had a car loan, a home improvement loan for some required fixes, and all the costs associated with a new baby. Add in the fact that I was a stay … [Read more...]
Spring Cleaning Chores You MUST Do This Month
April 3, 2018 by · Leave a Comment
Looking around your home and wondering which spring cleaning chores you must do and which you can skip? Spring is in the air here and all I want to do is sit on the patio and listen to the birds chirp. Too bad my patio is filthy because I haven't gotten around to cleaning it yet. Then, of course, as I enjoy all these spring flowers, I start sneezing because my allergies are horrible. So I hit the medicine cabinet to grab the allergy meds, only to find out they are expired because I haven't used them for a year. Sound familiar? While spring … [Read more...]
