I just wrote a post called Specialized Quitters, on my own blog, about how maddening it is to watch people buy excessive equipment and sports-related clothing when they take up a new sport.
My friend who decided to try running bought a $60 running bra, new running shoes with an iPod chip (of course) and several [...]

In this day of natural, organic food I am constantly trying to find snacks that aren’t full of sugar for my son. It’s hard to balance taste for nutrition with a 5 year old, but I’ve found some help.
Maybe you’ve seen Kashi’s new commercial asking you to trade in your unhealthy snack for a free [...]

Hello, my name is Canape, and I drive a giant SUV. I confess.
In theory I would be driving a tiny Prius and doing my bit to save the planet, however the reality is that I have to haul stuff and haul people. It wasn’t easy finding a vehicle that fit my needs, and I have [...]

“Mom, look at this!” my seven year-old called excitedly. She had found a shelf of stuffed toys shaped like microbes. “Look, this one’s the common cold!”
We spent a long time looking at the plushy pathogens, and my four year-old demanded that I explain what each one did. I resisted buying any, but two days later [...]

Any parent will tell you what a pain in the neck (and lower) it can be to read the same children’s books over and over and over again.
I fully recognize that kids learn through repetition, but after reading Goodnight Moon and Guess How Much I Love You and The Very Hungry Caterpillar eleventy million times, [...]

I didn’t let my daughter watch Disney Channel’s made for TV movie High School for a long, long time. The name made me think that it was more appropriate for older kids than my 7 year old, and I was concerned about influences of inappropriate behavior.
After a lot of lobbying by my daughter, I agreed [...]

In preparation for vacation I went in search of travel-sized hair care products, and please let me share my great fortune with you.
In a small boutique I came across a five piece Frederic Fekkai set that included little bottles of the necessary shampoo, conditioner and finishing spray, BUT the set also included a hair mask [...]

With three little boys to feed a big breakfast every morning, I’ll confess that we opt for easy whenever we can. Heat and serve sausage and bacon have proven a godsend for quick breakfast options in the mornings around this place.
Our favorite brand of sausage has been Jimmy Dean for quite some time. [...]

It’s the hottest Hot-lanta as been in 7 years, so we’re all seeking something cool and refreshing here in the land of cotton. I ran into the Del Monte Fruit Chiller in the canned fruit aisle. Chilled you say? I had to pick some up.
You put them in your freezer [...]

Have you heard about these new Fit Flip Flops? Supposedly they’re all the rave. Although they started in Great Britain they have made their way to the U.S. through Bath & Body Works where you can only order them online.
They look like normal flip flops other than the extra-thick soles. The claim is that walking [...]

When I was in high school there was this bar in Broad Ripple, Indiana that was a coffee shop by day, bar by night. It was called Cafe Espresso.
We thought the place was totally hip and cool, and we discovered a secret in the fall of my senior year of high school — if [...]

I had ordered a copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows from Amazon.com, but then decided I couldn’t possibly wait four days after release to read it, so I went out to my local Borders and grabbed a copy. I dug in right away, and then life interfered, and it took forever for me [...]

Is Kraft’s Cool Whip Free Whipped Topping a dream? If it is, don’t wake me.
You see, I am perpetually on a diet and when I am forced to watch my children eat ice cream, nothing helps me cope more than a tub of Kraft’s Cool Whip Free Whipped Topping.
Seriously, you could easily eat a [...]

Today I got one of those phone calls that leave you with a bad feeling in the pit of your stomach. “Mrs. FishyGirl, I’m from the fraud alert department at Bank of America, and we’re calling to advise you that we’ve flagged your account as possibly having fraudulent activity on it, and want to verify [...]

Of all the character-driven shows and movies I’ve enjoyed (or in some cases endured) with my seven year old daughter over the years, my favorite has always been Winnie the Pooh. There’s just something about Pooh Bear and his friends that always makes me feel happy and if you pay attention, you might note that [...]