I guess it is the mom in me but I love having a full house.  I enjoy taking care of friends and family and having them stay with us.  I am most content when surrounded by people to interact with. We have a friend who will be staying with us for 10 days and I am quite looking forward to it.  I love having a large group at dinner and a house full of conversation and activity.  Our house is always full of activity with two young boys but it is nice to have other adults a...

I am truly intrigued about what makes a person take up smoking.  I don't know any person that liked it right off the bat.  So why work at learning a habit you know is so bad for you?  What is the appeal. People deny that it had anything to do with peer pressure.  If it isn't peer pressure, what is it?  Please, if you have an explaination, share it.  I am not being judgemental and won't rip on you for commenting.  I am just simply trying to understand because...

I have had the past experience of having people comment that they enjoy my blogs except my political ones.  I then asked myself the question "Do I let a person's politics affect my opinion of the person over all?"  In general, the answer would be no.  However, I think in the blog world it depends on what my initial experience is with the blogger in question.  If my first experience is a negative political blog, I might form a hasty opinion that will be difficult to change. ...

I don't know how others out there are feeling but I think I am going to have to go in political "time out".  The inundation of he said/he said has taken its toll.  Terms like neo-con, fascist, and leftie have lost all meaning.  I need a break! I have felt a responsibility to educate myself on the political issues at hand and learn as much as possible about the candidates.  I feel I am learning nothing except possibly media bias at this point.  I think I am going to go...

I really would like to be one of those people who jump out of bed in the morning and are bright eyed and ready for the day....I'm not.  Never have been.  For as long as I can remember my brain hears the wake up call and immediately starts scheming ways of staying in bed for "just 5 more minutes". I like sleep too much.  It has gotten worse since we purchased the most comfortable bed I have ever slept in.  I got a comfy, fluffy pillow for Christmas last year so sleep time i...

Let me start by saying I love to watch Fall football.  Thanksgiving just wouldn't be the same without a football game playing.  I played flag football in school (I'm a girl so, back then, couldn't play football).  I will encourage my boys to play the game informally because it is fun.  But I know what it can do to a body and I don't want them to go through that. My dad was a really good high school football player.  He never played professionally but still suffer...

I remember hearing the other day one reporter (can't remember who) commenting that Kerry's testimony in the 70s regarding the atrocities committed by soldiers in Vietnam included him speaking with some weird accent he didn't have when they were growing up together and he hasn't had since.  Tonight, I was listening to the TV in the background while Bush and Kerry spoke to crowds wishing Clinton a speedy recovery regarding his heart surgery and heard something I couldn't believe- Kerry uttere...

I am one parent who is very upset with Comcast right now.  I don't even recall what they were saying in their ad but it showed a father removing an envelope with "Tooth Fairy" written on it from under his daughter's pillow as she sleeps and replacing it with a $1 bill only to go back to remove it when his wife mentions their cable or phone bill.  My 7yr old son, who is in the prime of his tooth losing career, saw this ad which ran at 7PM EST.  He said to me "See, that's proof ther...

Last night was a very politically poignant night in my opinion.  President Bush had his chance to make the speech of his life and in my opinion, he did.  He was relaxed, well spoken, emotional, open about all the issues and, above all to me, seemed like a real, genuine person.  Then, at the After Hours show for MSNBC, Janeane Garofalo, comedienne turned actress turned "political commentator" chimes in and spews forth her wacked out (IMO) view that it was all just a scam and she ju...

I'm writing this because I was wondering if this is the case anywhere other than my local school district; we get a crazy list of required supplies now and I am wondering what the heck our taxes are paying for!  I can't believe how much I just spent on stuff my 2nd grader is required to have.  Examples: Expo dry erase markers- large ones 4 large glue sticks-$.99 each ~what ever happened to the large economy sized tubs of paste? 2 containers of Clorox wipes!!!! What the heck?!&...

In my 34 yrs on this planet I have done a lot of thinking on the subject of happiness.  A lot of people who know me think I am just "naturally" happy.  I think the key to happiness is learning and embracing what truly makes you happy.  Sounds simple doesn't it?  I don't think it really is. I myself have fallen victim to questioning my importance which leads to a drop in happiness.  I have learned that I am happiest when with family and friends and being domestic. ...

Has anyone out there had experience with B-12 injections?  My doctor suggested I try it to keep my energy up while losing weight.  I had my first shot on Monday and really can't tell if it helped.  I have had one of the most hectic weeks in a long time so I don't feel "energetic" exactly. I think I will give it another try in a couple of weeks.  If I don't notice a difference in energy, I will stop because I don't believe it taking medication of any kind just for the heck ...

It is a strange thing to deal with and I think a lot of people think I'm not aware of their opinion of me but I can tell a lot of people think I am subservient because I am a home maker.  My husband and I agreed quite openly that if I am to stay home full time that I am to take care of pretty much everything around the house.  Most people simply can't understand that. I think a lot of my friends are career women who try to relate my lifestyle to their own.  They can't undrestan...

The other night my hubby and I were watching some shows we recorded on Tivo.  We had some microwave popcorn and reminisced about the days when we had to put oil and corn in a pan and shake it over the stove top in order to make popcorn.  It took a long time and didn't even taste that great.  Boy have we come a long way since then! Today I was hosting a family cookout.  I got some steaks out of the freezer and defrosted them in the microwave in about 6 minutes.  I just...

Well, today started out like a Summer day.  It was sunny and 80 degrees.  Then the clouds rolled in, it poured rain and got dark and cold.  It is about 60 degrees now. So I am making chicken frame soup from the leftovers of our roasted chicken dinner.  In case you aren't familiar with this, you take the frame from your chicken or turkey, simmer it with some onion and garlic salt for about 1.5 hrs, take the frame out, strain the broth, salvage as much meat off the bones as ...