Search Results for: blog getting my mind right lookin good

Snowing in Spring…Adjusting Our Frugal Plans

It is a few days past the official start of spring, and I am looking at a wintry wonderland just outside my window. The salt trucks and plows have been by, but they have to be diligent. Already the driveway and roads are covered with white. Despite about three inches of snow on the ground already and more to come, schools are not closed today. There is no excessive wind, and we are used to snow. The weather has been wrecking some havoc with our spring frugal plans. We can’t get started on our garden, and may lose out on … Continue reading →

Some Thoughts on Strollers and Baby Carriers

Over the weekend, we had some very nice weather. Even though the dirt road that we live on is muddy and full of deep ruts, I really wanted to take the boys out for a walk. Dylan really wanted me to take the double stroller out so that he could ride with his baby brother for part of our walk. I thought that it might be fun to see whether our beat up double jogging stroller (which we got from the thrift store last year) was up to the challenge. We enjoyed a wonderful walk, and since the stroller is … Continue reading →

Getting Ready for Back to School: Organizing School Supplies

I have to admit that as my children get older, the school supplies get easier…at least in the school system that they attend. They require fewer school supplies in high school, which makes my life easier and my pocketbook more full. However, I have always used a method of getting ready for school that not only saves me money but keeps us well stocked for at least a good portion of the school year. But it all begins in July. I regret not thinking about this last month but school was honestly the last thing on my mind. So perhaps … Continue reading →

Our First Preschool Preview

There is something about this time of year that makes me think about school. Perhaps it is a deeply ingrained sense of anticipation of a new school year which is left over from my childhood. You see, I was one of those kids who loved school. This year, my school related thoughts involve assessing Dylan’s readiness for preschool and assessing a few preschools in my community to see whether there are any that are a good fit for him. As luck would have it, the other day when I brought Dylan to one of our favorite playgrounds, I got to … Continue reading →

Behind the Screens: Are You Hiding In Plain Sight?

A woman I know with two small children is going through a difficult time in her life right now; she’s getting a divorce. Her husband left her abruptly, leaving her few options but to return to her hometown to live with her parents until she gets “settled.” Returning home feels to her like admitting defeat, like she’s unable to make it on her own. It’s hard for her to think about starting over in life, in relationships, in work; the whole thing is pretty overwhelming. I started noticing that whenever I’m on Facebook, so is she. I wondered, What are … Continue reading →

Take a Walk

Before I had Logan I never really needed to exercise. I could eat whatever I wanted and never gain weight. I would give a lot to go back to those days, but unfortunately I no longer have that luxury. It’s hard to find time to exercise these days. With going to school and trying to take care of Logan on my own my hands are pretty full and my time is pretty limited. I usually feel better after a good work out, with all those endorphins floating around it’s hard not to, but it’s hard to fit it into my … Continue reading →

Dangerous Exotic “Pets”

Exotic pets have been in the news lately. I define exotic pets as wild or barely domesticated animals that you’d sooner expect to see in a zoo than someone’s home. They’re often illegal to own. Even then the classification gets tricky; I’ve previously written about potbelly pigs and hedgehogs, two uncommon pets, that are sometimes illegal in certain states or counties. In these cases, however, the illegality issue has to do with invasive species; certain types of hedgehogs and pigs are not native to the country and officials want to keep out the non-native breeds. When I’m talking about exotic … Continue reading →

Cats Causing Countertop Carnage

While on the phone with my grandmother the other week she commented, “your critters sure are giving you a lot of trouble.” It’s true; first it was Chrestomanci, and now it’s Cole. While Chrestomanci wants to eat everyone else’s food in addition to his own, Cole won’t stop going up on the counter. I know he’s always been interested, and on occasion I would have to chase him off the counter or the tabletop, but recently he’s either started doing it a lot more or been more brazen about it. Now he’s even encouraged Chrestomanci to make the occasional countertop … Continue reading →

Top Tens

We always ring in the new year as a family. When my mother was young my grandfather wanted a way to keep all of the children off the roads at night. So he started the family New Year’s Eve tradition. To be fair we were allowed to bring a date, and I almost always did, for my own sanity. As a teenager we often complained about having to spend the night with family instead of out with friends, but in the end we always had a good time. We played games, had a big dinner, read fortune cookies, and read … Continue reading →

Husbands and Home Births

Shortly before I began dating Tristi, I read Arthur Janov’s book, “Imprints: The Lifelong Effects of the Birth Experience,”and began to understand why having children at home, without drugs, might be helpful to them and their mother. I didn’t necessarily agree with everything Arthur had to say, but his book did open my mind to the possibility that many children don’t need the full hospital interventions that often happen in America. According to Dr. Janov, babies born without drugs, whether at home or not, tend to be less irritable, and grow up with fewer psychological issues. When I asked Tristi … Continue reading →