Search Results for: neighbor drama

How to Form a Diet Group

Yesterday we discussed the importance of having a support system. A support system will hold you accountable, cheer you on, give you a soft place to land, and give you a sense of teamwork. Having a support system will dramatically increase your chances of sustained weight loss. We are social beings so our need for others in our lives is strong. We especially need the love and support of others as we take on a difficult task like weight loss. How do you form a Diet Support Group to help you and others attain fitness goals? Facebook: Starting a Facebook … Continue reading →

Taking Shots at Your Little Shooter

Some photographers refuse to snap photos outdoors at high noon on cloudless sunny days. Sure, the lighting conditions are not ideal. You’re forced to contend with harsh shadows and squinting subjects; however, after spending two days this past weekend trying to photograph my neighbor’s 9-year-old participating in an intramural basketball tournament, I would gladly shoot midday on a sunny day rather than in a gym lit exclusively by fluorescent bulbs. Now, that’s agony. In case you are caught in the same predicament this season, consider the following: First, scout out the location prior to shooting. I didn’t… and I paid … Continue reading →

Better Late Than Never

(Scooting came easily, bike riding not so much.) My daughter was born nearly three weeks before her due date. We were all shocked and a bit ill-prepared. A few pieces of furniture hadn’t been built yet and I didn’t have a hospital bag picked out, let alone packed. Still, there’s no stopping a baby from coming out when she is ready… and it’s hard to shove her back in when you’re not. My daughter arrived kicking and screaming and we welcomed her with open arms. Interestingly, though, despite her early arrival, she hasn’t hit some critical milestones before her peers. … Continue reading →

A Guide to Fall Mums

Mums are in bloom and will soon be available in many forms. They make great decorations for the fall. Mums are flexible in style and will loo just as good in an elegant vase and they will in a rustic bucket (although I tend to favor the later for the fall season). Shop around when looking for mums. You may find some unusual shapes or color combinations. New varieties are popping up each season, so it pays to visit a few different garden centers in your area. You may just be rewarded with a new type of mum that no … Continue reading →

Weekend Bonding

Tis the season for purging junk from your home and having strangers pay you to get it off your property. See it, hear it, love it or hate it; the rummage sale season is in full swing. In our city, you can’t go a single block without being blinded by dozens of neon-colored signs fighting for space on the corners of busy intersections. Suburbia is littered with trash, treasures, and teamwork. Yes, teamwork. For many families, hosting a rummage sale requires a combined effort by all of its members regardless of age. At least that’s what my neighbors tell me. … Continue reading →

Teach Your Kids About Giving to Others

Along with sniffles and sneezes, most kids contract a severe case of the gimmies during the month of December. My 6-year-old could easily be hospitalized for the severity of her case. The other day she whined for a good 20 minutes as she watched in utter horror as I (GASP!) wrapped a (double GASP!) Christmas present for her BFF. She recently begged Santa for the same Littlest Pet Shop set and couldn’t believe that would have the audacity to ask if she would like to help wrap the one I had purchased for her pal. Cue the drama. After the … Continue reading →

Leslie Nielsen Dead at 84

Actor Leslie Nielsen has died of complications from pneumonia today in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. He was 84. Just the other day, my family and I were watching the movie Airplane! I love that movie. Anyone who has seen it can’t forget some of Nielsen’s classic lines – “I just want to wish you both good luck, we’re all counting on you…” “You can tell me. I’m a doctor,” and my favorite “I am serious. And don’t call me Shirley.” It took a long time before I realized Leslie Nielsen had once been a dramatic actor and not always the funny … Continue reading →

Validation

Validation is a good thing. Sometimes all you need to hear to succeed is that you’re on the right path or that you’ve done something astounding or amazing or promising. Sometimes that is all you need to really get yourself motivated to do something even better. Sometimes that’s all you need to take the next step from being interested in a subject to devoting yourself to it. The person that pushes you to that next step is most likely a great teacher but it could also be a peer, friend, neighbor, parent, relative, or stranger. I can remember each of … Continue reading →

Randy Quaid and Wife in Hot Water Again

It seems like every time a celebrity goes off the deep end, it is a young female who has gotten involved in addiction, such as Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan. But, every once a while, an established star seems to just completely lose it and it would seem that this is the case with Randy Quaid. Although I will always think of him as Cousin Eddie from National Lampoon’s Vacation series, Quaid has appeared in more than 90 films. I was shocked, in a good way, by his performance in Midnight Express. I never expected such a dramatic performance from … Continue reading →

Boredom

My daughter never mopes around, telling me that she is bored. Nope, she’ll be much more dramatic than that, wailing, “I have nothing to do!” Then of course she will ask me to do something to remedy the situation. I’m not interested in becoming the cure-all for boredom, of course. So I simply say, “Oh well, that happens to all of us, doesn’t it dear? I’m sure you will find something to do.” If I am doing something particularly interesting like – oh – cleaning the toilets, I might suggest that she help. Is it my job to cure her … Continue reading →