A Guide to Happier Holidays: Replace HO–HO-HO with NO-NO-NO!
Well, the holiday hoopla is ramping up. Displays of sparkly red and green stuff has taken center stage in our stores, catalogues are arriving in droves, internet sites are offering deals, discounts and sales on every imaginable product. Magazines at the grocery checkout display unbelievable glossy covers of gorgeous people, in gorgeous houses, serving gorgeous food. Now with the sudden drop in temperature and the promise of snow this week, the reality that the holidays are descending on us is unavoidable.
It feels impossible to slow this down or simply get a grip. It is like being swept up in some tinselly tidal wave. I don’t want to shop yet; I still am cleaning out the garden! Yet, as the heat clicks on, and my sweaters and even gloves begin to take center stage, it cannot be denied. Here comes the holidays.
Much has been written about how to maintain our sanity through the holidays – hints of shortcuts for meals, warnings about overeating and over-drinking, and financial gurus pleading with us to set limits on our … Read More... “Holidays: Just Say No And Feel Empowered!”
At 18 years old, Johnny and Patty are in love. Johnny has been dating Patty for almost 4 years. Upon graduating high school, both decide to attend a four-year college in Dayton, Ohio. Johnny and Patty decide to take all the same classes and spend nearly every waking minute with each other. The summer prior to moving, Johnny approaches Patty’s parents and asks if he can propose. Patty’s parents grant permission, believing the two to be inseparable. Johnny, who recently fell into some money from an inheritance, decides to purchase a $25,000 dollar, (3-carat) solitaire ring. He absolutely loves the ring, and upon asking Patty to marry him, she immediately accepts. Three weeks into the engagement, Patty and Johnny have a severe argument about their hometown sports team and, believing their differences to be too severe, decide to call off the engagement. Patty tells Johnny she doesn’t plan on returning the engagement ring and is hoping to sell the ring and pay for a semester of college tuition. Johnny runs home and … 
Social Media has reared its intrusive head since the early 2000’s. With the founding of MySpace in 2003, teenagers and young adults have connected beyond the letters snuck through classrooms, and the phone calls from landlines. The early stages of MySpace allowed individuals to edit, create, and develop their page to fit their interests, often showing the personality types of the users, and allowing them to connect and interact with other students or friends. The path that social media has taken since those “good ole days” has shifted into a realm of confusion… Facebook, YouTube, GooglePlus, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, Photobucket, Pintrest, MyLife, and many more roam the internet fiendishly adding users every day.
Many people consider their pets an integral part of their family. When two people divorce, the fight over the family pet can often turn into a bitter battle. In response to these feelings towards pets, a growing number of states have enacted statutes providing for the custody of the family pet.
A husband or wife can get themselves into some messy legal situations when they spy on their spouse. Often, the best way to combat this situation is through communication. Clearly, if you’re suspecting your spouse of somehow breaking the marriage vows, then you’re faced with trying to improve communications (at the very least). Perhaps entering into marriage counseling together would be beneficial. If these efforts have failed, there are a few steps you can take to avoid criminal situations when it comes to spying on your spouse.
Our teens live in a digital universe. They may be talking with one friend while texting another. While giving us some superficial answer about what happened at school, they may be posting their real feelings on Facebook.
In the season of weddings, it occurs to me that while many of us received advice when we got married, most of it was about how to keep the relationship vibrant (never go to bed angry) or (in my generation) how to keep your man happy (“ a way to man’s heart is through his stomach”).