I am sure at some time in our bill-paying lives each of us has stared at a lengthy itemization of a credit card statement and wondered, “How did I get so bound to a piece of plastic?” We try planning, we try limits. There are books, magazines, and even consultants on the issue. I’ve tried [...]
At some point, we’ve all done it: during the middle of a move or the week of finals. Somehow, everything gets shuffled. Some of us make it a way of life. But something not very many people consider is how fiscally irresponsible it is to live surrounded by clutter. The obvious sums spent when living [...]
What is jargon? It is a social term technically defined as the lexicon (set of words) used in an esoteric (specialized) field. It is what we’re talking about when we say “I don’t get all that medical mumbo-jumbo” or “The mechanic said something about the air injection and radio compressor having electrical issues.” For those [...]
We all have those little pet peeves about people and money. These are some of the things that put the flame to the fire when I see them happen: Left receipts at the grocery store. This is a blatant indication that someone could easily be overcharged, that they don’t care where their pennies go, and [...]
Do you ever wander by an empty house for sale or rent and wonder what kinds of treasures it may hold? You might be surprised. Once, I had my secrets about houses, but now that I’m a homeowner and won’t be house-hopping anymore, I’ll share them with you. People lose the strangest things in the [...]
Some students go through rigorous training. Some students attend private lessons daily, and for hours. Some students are gifted. Some students have access to thicker pocketbooks, and some students dedicate their lives to their instrument. However, “picking up” an instrument in your adult life does not have to be this rigorous; in fact, most of [...]
The older the artist, the smaller the crayons become. Many kids don’t have a problem with broken crayons. Many kids ignore them. Many kids get gifted several boxes of crayons in a year, or build up a collection over time. Throwing crayon pieces away is one of the most dissatisfying clean-up jobs to parents and [...]
Babies draw. Toddlers draw. Kids draw. They color from the first time they get a crayon in their hand to the time they learn to write, as sketches and drawings are their best way of written communication and expression. As parents, we become extraordinarily fond of the smacked-on dots and lines when babies learn to [...]
I love books. I’m addicted to bindings, paper, and ink. I become intoxicated by the smell of an old edition. I melt at a beautiful children’s picture book. I truly breathe only when the printed word is being read across my tongue. My husband tolerates my addiction. I’m forever coming home with stacks and bags [...]
My husband sighs, “I’m still bummed about the Cayenne.” We’re at a stoplight and out the driver’s side window is a beautiful, sparkling, silver Porsche Cayenne. About a year ago we were hot in the market for a new car. We had studied the Audi brand, the Chrysler 300 and the Dodge Magnum, and this [...]
