My Day on the World Stage

In 1993 the opportunity arrived for me to shut up or put up. There was a woman by the name, or rather using the name, of Deborah Laake. She’d written a book called “Secret Ceremonies: Diary of a Mormon Wife” – a work of pure and sad delusion. This poor woman, if she told the complete truth, was at the mercy of a father who took unrighteous dominion to new levels. Whatever the perceived truth, she became extremely disenchanted with the church and proceeded to betray every covenant she’d half-heartedly made with the Lord. Where do I come in? Well, … Continue reading

The League of Incredible Vegetables

There is exciting news from Veggie Tales! They have released a new DVD, called The League of Incredible Vegetables. The theme is handling fear and who can handle that topic better than Thingamabob (Bob the Tomato), LarryBoy (Larry the Cucumber), and the rest of the gang? The DVD includes a new silly song called Super Hero and a music video by the Newsboys. If you are a Veggie Tales fan or if you never watched an episode this is the place to start. I have been a fan of Veggie Tales for over a decade. My first child loved Bob … Continue reading

Genealogy Podcast Roundup – Week of July 2, 2012

Once a week, the Genealogy Podcast Roundup brings you brand new episodes of your favorite genealogy podcasts. This is a good place to find genealogy podcasts that are new to you, and to find podcasts that do not always discuss genealogy topics, but have for one, random, episode. Family Tree Magazine released their episode for June of 2012 on June 27, 2012. This episode is hosted by Lisa Louise Cooke. Diane Haddad explains how to find archived genealogy blog posts on any subject. Gena Philibert Ortega shares ideas from her new book “From the Family Kitchen, Discover Your Food Heritage … Continue reading

He Said, She Said – Let’s Meet Matt!

Good morning, everyone! Today I’m excited to announce that we’re kicking off a new series here in Marriage. My husband, Matt Pinkston, is the new Fatherhood blogger, and he’ll also be joining me one day a week here in Marriage for a “He Said, She Said” style of blog. We both have strong opinions and we both like to talk (a lot), so this will be a lot of fun for us, and we hope it will be fun and informative for you as well. Matt and I have been married for sixteen years, and together we have four children. … Continue reading

To Vaccinate, Or Not to Vaccinate? – That Is the Question

There are a few schools of thought when it comes to vaccines. On the one hand, there are doctors who advise parents to get their children vaccinated against several deadly diseases when the child reaches a certain age. On the other hand, you have an anti-vaccine movement advising parents against getting their child vaccinated. This leaves parents stuck somewhere in the middle with a lot of questions. There has been a lot of controversy over the MMR vaccine. This is the vaccination that doctors suggest that all children have, as a way to protect the child from catching measles, mumps, … Continue reading

Beware the Green Eyed Monster: How Jealousy Can Impact Your Blended Family

I tiptoed up to the topic, believing that most of us are pretty sensitive about it: “Sometimes step parents feel…I don’t want to call it jealousy, but…” at which point Kelly, eight years into her step mom experience, interrupted, “Oh, you can call it jealous! I was definitely jealous!—of a six year old, no less!” We were talking about what can often become a defining dynamic between children and step parents, and consequently, a divisive issue for a biological parent and their spouse. It’s not an emotion many of us are willing to cop to, especially if the trigger is … Continue reading

Inexpensive books for teens

Is your teen an avid reader? Keeping a prolific reader stocked with plenty of reading material is no easy task. Many teen books are written in serial format, and it may seem like there is always just one more that your teen simply must read. In general, it takes a long time for these new books to appear in local libraries, and that means that if your teen wants to read them, someone must purchase the books. If this describes your teenager, you can get a great deal on books for teens right now, at Barnes & Noble. Check out … Continue reading

Frugal Month in Review: November 2008

November to be is the beginning of two things. The holiday season starts with Thanksgiving, and then there is winter. Despite the fact that winter doesn’t officially start until next month, the fall seems to give way to the winter in November anyway. We had a day of snow already. Here is looking ahead to December and the end of the year! November 1st Frugal Month in Review: October 2008 “Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.” – George Eliot. November 2 … Continue reading

What’s This about the Obamas Getting a Puppy?

Barack Obama’s win was, naturally, the talk of all the news yesterday. But of course the thing that caught my ear was the focus on how the Obamas were considering getting a puppy. The Puppy Speech I’d tried to stay awake for Obama’s victory speech Tuesday night, but instead I ended up falling asleep. I guess if I would have watched it I would have heard for myself the part where he said he was going to reward his daughters’ support and patience during the campaign with a puppy. I was surprised to hear they were considering a puppy. I … Continue reading

Gyms Catering to Members with Health Issues

Are you getting the most out of your gym? When my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer a few years ago her doctor recommended she follow a regimented fitness program. She started going to a run-of-the-mill gym in her very small hometown and worked out with a trainer. However, she never quite felt comfortable with the exercise routine and she ended up canceling her gym membership less than a year later. I always thought that had she found a better gym (unfortunately there are only two gyms in the city she lives in) she would have stuck with the program. … Continue reading