I had only just begun your book The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands when I ran into a communication problem with my husband and wanted to be sad or angry, but stopped myself to reflect. I had just bought a new dress'you know the style where the waistline is just under the chest area and it can create sort of a "preggy" look.  More >>

...I admit that lately, though, I have been having a bit of an identity crisis. Now that all three of my children are in school full time, the thought of getting a part time job during the day has crossed my mind. I am happy to say that today, I made my decision! More >>

A few Teen Commandments about what we should provide for our kids: "Take me shopping." "Thou shall give me what I want." "Thou shalt spoil me rotten." "Thou shalt leave everything to your kids when you die." "Thou shalt shower thy youth in riches." These are the same teens who wisely ask parents to set rules and enforce them, provide discipline, hold them accountable, and be role models. However, when these same kids start thinking about money, different things come out of their mouths. Suddenly they sound like shallow, petulant brats. More >>

Eat like a royal family on the at-home budget, not of the emperor, but his cooking staff. It's easy with these three-course weeknight menus (appetizers, entrees, and healthy desserts) that include everything from an all-in-one soup 'n' sandwich in a snap creatively prepared with fresh herb-added tomato soup and grilled cheese "croutons," or cost-conscious veggie burgers that "Mama Mia" would be proud of with their tasty additions of fresh Italian herbs, vegetables, low-fat cheese and antioxidant-filled tomato dipping sauce. More >>

Cranberry up your Thanksgiving meal by trying some of these tasty and simple ideas... More >>

Today's e-mail of the day (Found Dog Reminds Me of Missed Years) made an impact on me! Unfortunately I was driving on a very busy highway and trying not to cry as you were reading. I did make it safely to my destination. More >>

This morning as I was returning from walking my dog at the dog park, I noticed a beautiful black Labrador in the parking lot of the Clubhouse in my community. I stopped to see if there was anybody with the dog. Nobody was around. I pulled in, got out of the car, and the dog ran to me and practically jumped into my arms. I let my own dog out of the car, and the two played. We waited a while in the hopes somebody would come looking for a dog. No one came. I invited the dog into my car, she jumped in, happy as could be. More >>

The three-course weeknight menus (appetizers, entrees, and healthy desserts) include everything from Middle-Eastern-inspired favorites to a cranberry-juice-sweetened pureed chili soup perfect for chilly nights! Some of the entrees, like easy 'burgers' prepared from store-bought falafel mix, are vegetarian. Most of the main dishes that aren't, like a turkey and mashed sweet potato-carrot casserole, also feature produce, seamlessly blended with the meat, poultry, or seafood, to amp up the nutrition quotient. Even decadent desserts are created with your family's health in mind, although they probably will never realize that when they are feasting on custom-made treats, like sugar-free chocolate sandwich cookies topped with store-bought pumpkin butter, whipped cream and walnuts. More >>

The National Safety Council has put together some holiday tips to keep children safety this Halloween... More >>

I'm a first time mom. Before becoming a mom I went to school for 8 years and have a master's degree. I worked for 8 years in my profession before having my baby. My husband and I have been very smart with our money and the only debt we have is our mortgage. We decided when our daughter was born I would stay at home with her.  I can't say  I don't miss work, because I do at times, but I would never trade the days I have with my daughter for a job. My sister-in-law has two daughters 3 and under. She shuttles them off to a home day care every day. She told my husband she didn't want to be a stay at home mom because she wants to use her brain every day. More >>