I was Christmas shopping online the other day, looking for an electric shaver for my 15-year old son, when I came across the Mangroomer. The “Private Body Shaver” and the “Do-It-Yourself Electric Back Shaver” are the names of two Mangroomer models. I think the name itself is really funny. Reminds me of the Mansierre from the old Seinfeld days and the word “manboobs” also comes to mind. I’m not sure exactly how I feel about this thing. Is the male population becoming Continue reading The Mangroomer?

I just love Justin Timberlake. If you haven’t seen “Dick in a Box” then indulge yourself in some really great off-color holiday humor!

As my children have grown older, I’ve discovered how nice it is to schedule a day with them to just hang out at home. On the weekends, they still ask expectantly, “What are we going to do today?” And I will tell them, “nothing” meaning we’re staying at home and getting stuff done. And then we’ll spend the day together cleaning, doing yard work, grocery shopping, cooking, and playing. Sure, they complain at first but at the end of the day, everyone is satisfied with the fact that we all had a productive time spent together and enjoying each other’s company. They have grown to know that going to the movies or to a friend’s house is a privilege not to be taken for granted.

Doing these things with my kids is so simple, yet it’s incredible how much intrinsic value we get from it. For one, we fit in together time while accomplishing the stuff that I would normally have done alone anyway. The kids learn how to work, becoming self-sufficient in basic life skills. Doing rote work together opens up the opportunity to talk about what’s going on with them. And the big bonus is how I save so much time by getting them to help that I gain an extra day to spend, chore-free, all to myself.

I always joke to my boys that they were born to serve me, just like in the olden days when farmers had lots of kids so they could work the fields. Actually, I’m only half joking when I tell them that. Moms - take advantage of the fruit of your loins and put ‘em to work! It’s good for everyone.

Julie: Have you ever heard the Toby Keith song called I Wanna Talk About Me?

I was on Facebook yesterday when I saw that a good friend posted this status update -

“Here’s a question. Why are SOME people so self absorbed that they feel the world revolves around their lives and don’t consider the lives or feelings of others?”

A couple of the status responses to the Facebook post are - Continue reading Me me me - I wanna talk about me!

Kim: Hello, my name is Kim and I’m a 40 year old.

Sounds like I’m at some kind of 40-something’s anonymous meeting and I’ve braved the first step to admitting I have some kind of disease! In some ways though, as I was approaching that dreaded milestone, that’s how I thought it was going to feel. However, having now survived the actual day of reckoning I’m realizing that I feel pretty much the same. The only difference is that I now have the benefit of Continue reading 40, the Age of Reason

No, I’m not an environmentalist, a member of PETA, or a hippy. I’m not completely jumping on the trendy earth-friendly bandwagon either but there are just a few changes that I’ve made in the past year that make me feel like I’m doing my part to lower the negative impact I have on our planet.

Bye Bye Bottled Water
Bottled water may be convenient but those stupid little bottles take up valuable space in my garbage can, litter the land-fills and our oceans, and leak more dollars from my wallet than necessary. Since bottled water is just bottled tap water that costs 1000 times more than what comes out of my kitchen faucet, I can live without it. Instead, I bought one of those uber-cute aluminum water bottles and a Brita water filter pitcher and now I’ve got cold, clean water in my fridge all the time!

Be sure to get an aluminum water bottle and not plastic so you won’t have to worry about the controversial BPA cancer link associated with plastic bottles. And don’t drink water from a plastic bottle that’s been sitting in your hot car! It’s not worth the carcinogen risk.

I’ve Stopped Eating Meat
I know most of you love ya some meat and I won’t tell you to stop eating it entirely but you may think about cutting back on your meat consumption. According to the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization, it is estimated that livestock production generates nearly a fifth of the world’s greenhouse gases — more than transportation! Get this - Studies done by the University of Chicago reveal that if we Americans reduced our meat consumption by just 20 percent it would be as if we all switched from a standard sedan to the hybrid Prius!

So if you cut out meat and substitute it with another protein source like beans or fish just one or two days a week, not only will you be doing your family’s health a favor, you’ll be helping the environment too!

Buy Cute Reusable Bags
I picked up two really cute canvas bags from Ikea for $1.50 each that I usually keep by the front door or in the car. I love taking them with me into the grocery store and telling the “paper or plastic” guy to fill up my super chic pink tote instead! Those plastic bags are ridiculous! All of America should take a lesson from Seattle and start charging 25 cents each for those things! I can’t stand how they float around in my harbor and cling to the chain link fences at my kid’s school. The least you can all do is tell the bag boy to give you a paper bag instead of the plastic.

Eat Organic Whenever Possible
If I have a choice, I will spend the extra couple of dollars and buy the food that hasn’t been doused with poison, thank you. Look at all the people in this world who have cancer. It’s no wonder! You can’t expect to eat chemicals strong enough to make a bug croak and not have a reaction. Would you spray your family’s food with Raid? Of course not. Stop being so cheap people! How can you justify spending $5 at Starbucks and not spend that same $5 at the grocery store each week to buy only organic fruits and veggies?

Now like I said, I’m no environmentalist and I still insist on driving a big, gas guzzling SUV. Believe me, I have downsized to a smaller car only to trade it in a year later complaining that the thing is just too darned small for my family of tall people and football gear. But these are little things that I definitely can live with and I’m willing to make small changes that will help our planet and make me less of a environmental moron.

Feel free to share some of your easy, environmentally friendly tips in our comments section below!

With the 4th of July kicking off the summer grill season, I’m here to offer up some great advice to those of you who still have not quite mastered (and I mean mastered) the art of grilling a perfect cut of beef.

I’ve witnessed it so many times. People hovering over their grills, poking the charred meat and wondering, is it done? I’m here to set the record straight. No matter how many grill aficionados want to tell you that Continue reading Girls - You Can Grill the Perfect Steak

Kim: It was a bloody hot late Sunday afternoon in August 1995. We lived in Hawaii. I was EXTREMELY pregnant and I wanted an Arby’s roast beef sandwich. I wanted it bad. Now it wasn’t until after Bob told me that he needed to go to Sears to pick up some kind of power tool that I realized I wanted that roast beef sandwich. It was getting late in the day you see, and at that point in time there were only two Arby’s on the island of Oahu, the closest one being in a mall about 10 minutes from home. I was stressing because Continue reading Pregnancy Cravings

Kim: Think back to when you were a kid. Remember how important it was that everyone took turns? Otherwise it wasn’t fair! Well, why shouldn’t the same rule apply when it comes to planning your anniversary? I may be stereotyping, but it seems to me that it tends to fall on the husband’s shoulders to “remember” that special day and buy the flowers and the jewelry. Meanwhile the Mrs. is standing by, tapping her foot wondering — waiting to see if he’ll actually do something. How about this…why not take turns so that each year one person can just sit back and not have to worry about it? Maybe if the Mr. has something to look forward to every other year he might just be better about remembering when it’s “his turn”.

Bob and I have been married for 14 years. In fact, we just celebrated our 14th and since I’m “evens” it was my turn to plan it. I had everything set to go. Bob’s only job was to pack his suitcase with whatever I told him he needed and then show up when it was time to go. Now we like to actually get away and go places for our anniversaries. Obviously this is not something that is always feasible for all couples. However, that doesn’t mean that it still can’t be made special while letting the other person entirely off the hook. Key word is ENTIRELY. The other person should not have to worry about a thing, although it might be a nice gesture to get a card. Trust me, it works for us. Give it a try!

Julie: That’s great for you guys…and I love the evens and odds idea. But for my marriage, it just means I’d be pissed off every other year. Being married for 12 years, we learned to have no expectations whatsoever. That way, when one of us actually does go out of his or her way to do something nice, it’s a pleasant surprise. Like the time when my hubby bought me a gorgeous 5 diamond anniversary band to mark our 5th year of matrimony and he hid it in a Snickers bar. Ok, get this: he gave it to me when I was totally sick and barfing and the last thing I wanted was a freakin candy bar! He tried to force me to eat it and I was like, “Get that thing out of my face you moron!” And did I mention that I’ve hated Snickers bars my entire life? Why he decided a candy bar was the way to go is beyond me. All of that aside, I humored him despite having just hurled in a trash can, opened the damn candy wrapper and “BLING!!” Needless to say, I at least enjoyed staring at the new rocks on my hand while I suffered with a stomach flu for the remainder of that anniversary. I still wear the ring and love my man to pieces even though he sucks at planning things.

Kim:  Hmmm….Yes,knowing our beloved Donnie, I do see your point! Listen ladies, you all know your guy best. If you think this is something that might work, give it a try! However, I would suggest you go first to set the tone! 

“Oh Mommy! He’s so cute! Can I pleeeeeeeeease have him? Pleeeeeeease!” Little did I know then that when I caved and bought this rodent…I mean hamster… for Katie, I would find myself standing in a vet’s office about 6 months later sobbing and begging that they put “Goldie” out of his misery.

It was like a scene out of CSI. There was a small tuft of black hair hanging from just inside the cage door that had been left mysteriously…..AJAR. Katie looked like a crime scene investigator dusting for prints…paw prints that is. Both potential suspects had black fur so the guilty party could have been either one of our two dogs (we had a cat too, but he was 17 and could care less about Goldie the mysterious golden fur ball). Katie called both into her bedroom for questioning but Continue reading Death of a Hamster