Search Results for: blog gossip can be good for you

If I Were You, I Would……

Are you the recipient of much unwanted advice? Parenting in general seems to bring out everyone’s need to tell you how to do things better. Become a single parent and that advice giving is kicked up a notch. “Do you really think she should spend so much time at daycare?” “Dating? Don’t you think it’s a little soon?” “When my kids were that age I made them sleep in their own beds, you’re spoiling her.” And on and on and on, until I wanted to scream. Everyone, it seemed, knew how to raise my daughter better than I did. Everyone … Continue reading →

Are You a Fashion Savvy Parent?

Thank goodness my daughter wears uniforms to school. Whereas I don’t think of myself as a schlump, I also am very aware that my daughter and I don’t always see eye-to-eye when it comes to fashion. Am I fashion challenged? Not in my world. Though, she may disagree. What about you? Are you a fashion savvy parent? If you have a hard time differentiating between plaids, tweeds and fringe, then you might consider getting schooled on hot fall fashions before hitting the mall with you child on a marathon back-to-school shopping adventure. Here are some tips: Plaid: Thanks to the … Continue reading →

Concentrate on the Good

Yesterday, several friends were talking about a show they’d seen on TV that morning. It raised the point about what are the worst faults you spouse has in bed. People it seemed were quite happy to get on television and put their spouse down for their faults whether they be snoring or they had another annoying habits. One woman went on to list a number of faults her husband had. And then thought she‘d better stop in case he was watching the show. It’s a bit late then after she’d already aired all the secrets. I couldn’t help thinking what … Continue reading →

For the Strength of Youth Series: Language

Posted on by

Have you ever noticed that you can tell a LOT about a person by how they speak and what they say? I’m an observer by nature, and I’ve spent a lot of time listening to people and I’ve noticed over and over again that language is a key indicator of the type of person I’m listening to. The For the Strength of Youth pamphlet points out several things about language that I personally appreciate including the statement that “how you speak says much about who you are.” The pamphlet gives some good direction on things you should do regarding language. … Continue reading →

Bs You Don’t Want in Marriage

Yesterday we looked at some Bs that can sweeten your marriage like honey, today it’s Bs you don’t want. Belittle Never ever belittle your spouse in front of other by making negative or sarcastic comments. Nothing destroys a relationship quicker than having a person belittling their partner to others. You want to build them up not belittle them. Bemoan This one really goes hand in hand with the one before. You don’t want to be always bemoaning your spouse’s faults to them either. Bemoaning faults only tends to magnify them and make them more noticeable. It’s more helpful for you … Continue reading →

Can I Call Myself a Frugalista? A bit of Frugalista Gossip

When I started writing for the families.com Frugal blog, I decided to take a frugal fashion angle as my girl Mary Ann Romans seems to have the rest of the category well under control. After a little talk, we decided that I fit the frugalista mold and so, my “frugalista” blog posts were born. So a week or so ago, I got an email warning that there was a lawyer serving anyone who called themselves a “frugalista” telling them to cease using the term. (I never did get the warning myself.) I decided to put the phrase on hold and … Continue reading →

What Makes a Good Marriage Partner?

Most of us dream at some stage of the person we will marry. Some of us even set down a few ideas or a checklist of what we’d like in a mate. But what really makes a good marriage partner. When I asked Mick this question he came up with the answer. ‘Me,’ he said jokingly. While I agree wholeheartedly, we then started to talk more about it in depth. The list he came up with was similar to mine. Here’s our ideas. A good marriage partner is someone who: 1. puts their spouse and their needs first. That means … Continue reading →

Television Shows: Renewed, Cancelled, and in Limbo

Are you wondering if your favorite television show is going to be renewed? Most networks still have until late May to make a final announcement of their fall lineups, but here are some of the shows we know we will or won’t see again. Some of the ABC shows that have officially been renewed are “Brothers & Sisters,” “Desperate Housewives,” “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Lost,” “Private Practice,” and “Ugly Betty.” There had been fear by fans that “Ugly Betty” would be cancelled after ratings dropped in season 3. NBC actually renewed “Friday Night Lights” for two more seasons, despite the fact that … Continue reading →

Can Self-Control Be a Bad Thing?

Can self-control be a bad thing? According to a recent scientific study, apparently it can. Can empathizing with others be a bad thing? Again experts have decided it apparently can be. What do you think? Well, I’m going to have to disagree on this. It seems to me, that too often the problems in marriages are caused by selfishness and lack of self-control rather than by self control and empathizing with our spouse. If each of us stopped and thought before we spoke, we might decide not to say what we’d been going to, because we’d realize how much it … Continue reading →

Protecting Your Marriage

Most people don’t think twice about insuring their home or car or things that are valuable. They don’t think twice about installing security measures like screens and alarms. But what about protecting your marriage? What can you and I do to protect our marriages? Here are some suggestions. And no, these aren’t all mine. Many came from families.com members. Respect and being careful about the way we talk to our spouse. It was interesting to see how many of you mentioned this as essential. No marriage is great absolutely great all the time. Your spouse isn’t perfect and neither are … Continue reading →