Some of the most transformative moments in life can come in the most ordinary circumstances. You might be minding your own business, having a conversation with someone you talk to all the time. Then that person says something that stops you in your tracks. They might not even know that they are transforming your life- […]
Recently, I discovered an interesting article on a financial blog titled “Kickstart New Habits with a 30 Day Challenge.” It lists some great ideas for trying to save money, reduce clutter, and earn more money. I like this concept because it is a great way to try on a new habit to see whether it […]
Today, I was cleaning out the fireplace and thinking about embers and how they can stay alive for days after a fire, even though they look spent. You can’t just stick them in the trash or vacuum them because they could reignite. They need to be disposed of properly, so that there is no danger […]
Some days I just hate to give consequences. The ensuing tantrum from my daughter is no fun to deal with. I often hope that the threat of the consequence is enough to get her to listen to me. I’ve definitely learned that I need to be ready to back up whatever consequence I tell her […]
I’ve been meaning to write about money and emotions for a while now. Yesterday, I felt inspired to do so after reading a blog entry entitled “Why Financial Literacy Fails (and What to Do About It). In it, the author states that the behavioral aspect to spending needs to be addressed as much as financial […]
Today, I was reading a blog entry about boredom- it was titled “Boredom Is Our Enemy.” I found myself completely disagreeing with this concept, so much that I had to comment. That wasn’t enough, though. Now I must make my own blog entry about what can be learned from our boredom. Boredom is one of […]
As a mother of a toddler, I hear myself saying things like, “If you head-butt Mommy again, you can’t sit in Mommy’s lap anymore.” This is a rule that I regularly enforce, and enforcing it is easier because she knows that rule exists ahead of time. Our child also has rules that we need to […]
As a new parent, I am re-learning many things. One lesson in particular is about getting attached to expectations, versus understanding the reality of a situation. When we have an expectation that has very little to do with reality, and more to do with our desires, we can easily become frustrated. Learning our baby’s napping […]
My husband’s parents once told me the story of how he learned to ride a bike. Apparently, he hadn’t quite figured out how to brake, and the concept scared him. His solution was to ride full-speed into a group of trash cans. For some reason, this was a less scary way to stop than braking- […]
Right now is a very charged and tense time in our country. The election is drawing rapidly near, and it seems that the country is again split in half. The candidates are calling each other names, and we are being inundated with negative ads. Tensions are running high between people who hold opposing political views. […]