Signs That Your Child May Have Asperger’s Syndrome

Asperger’s Syndrome has been described as a high functioning form of autism. It is an autism spectrum disorder. It isn’t always easy for a parent to realize that his or her child has Asperger’s Syndrome, for a number of reasons. The sooner you identify that your child has it, however, the quicker you can find treatments that can help your child. One of my brothers has Asperger’s Syndrome. He is an adult now, and doing just fine, (with some help.) He lives with our parents, has a job, and is generally happy. When he was a child, however, Asperger’s Syndrome … Continue reading

Farmers Insurance Group Sponsors Stadium in Los Angeles

The city of Los Angeles has been seeking a sponsor for a brand new football stadium. The deal has now been made, and the sponsor will be Farmers Insurance Group. Which means that the proposed name of the new stadium is “Farmer’s Field”. Naturally, the Twitterverse has come up with several jokes about this proposed name. The new football stadium will be located in the downtown area of Los Angeles. It will be located nearby the Staples Center. The purpose of this stadium is to, hopefully, bring the NFL back to Los Angeles. Right now, LA does not have a … Continue reading

Ways to Make Summer Entertaining Fun

The goal of summer entertaining is to have fun, but when you are hosting dozens of people at your home, often “fun” is the last thing that comes to mind. After all, before your guests arrive there’s cleaning, cooking and organizing to be done. One way to keep a summer party from turning into a chore is to infuse fun into the planning process. Think outside of the box with these simple yet creative ideas: Invite a variety of people: A simple way to add zing to your summer bash is to invite a diverse crowd. Instead of just inviting … Continue reading

Remedies When Love is Fading

So you’ve discovered your love for your spouse is fading, what can you do about it? Here are some suggestions. Remember Remember where you started. When I lose sunglasses, keys or something, which is fairly common with me, I retrace my steps. It is no different with marriage. If you have lost your love for your spouse or are just having trouble remembering why you fell in love with them in the first place, go back to the beginning. Make a list of the reasons why you fell in love with them. Share that list with your spouse. Work on … Continue reading

Family Meetings

Family meetings are times for families to come together and discuss issues that affect the household. Topics can be about anything, from school, to chores, to vacation planning. You could also hold meetings just as a way to ensure that your family spends time together on a regular basis, with no agenda to the meetings at all. Family meetings are a great way to promote open discussion between yourself and your children. Children whose families engage in regular family meetings are less likely to get into trouble, abuse drugs or alcohol, develop depression, or have poor self-esteem. Any member of … Continue reading

Why Don’t We Talk About Perimenopause?

Why don’t we talk about perimenopause? Women talk a great deal about menopause. Menopause has been the butt of jokes for years. We associate hot flashes and mood swings with menopause, however, little is said about the stage preceding menopause which is perimenopause. Some of the same symptoms that are experienced in menopause can also occur in perimenopause. Perimenopause is the transition stage before menopause hits. It can last anywhere from two to ten years before menopause takes full effect and the menstrual period ceases. The average duration of perimenopause is six years so it’s obviously an important stage in … Continue reading

The 82nd Annual Academy Awards’ Weirdest Moment

If you watched the 82nd Annual Academy Awards last night, you saw there weren’t many surprises. Hosts Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin were charming and humorous, but there were no really scandalous or risky jokes. Jeff Bridges locked up Best Actor and Sandra Bullock pulled off her expected Best Actress win. But, there was one surreal moment. It was in the middle of the ceremony when Best Documentary Short was announced. I know what you are thinking “Best Documentary Short?” It is usually during times like this when people go to the kitchen to get a snack. Last night, Music … Continue reading

Thrift Store Finds Add Quirky Style to Your Home

Thrift stores can be amazing places, which is why I try to avoid them whenever possible. I almost always end up spending more money than I intended when I first walked in the door. Case in point: my daughter has been growing, so yesterday we visited a fantastic thrift store in a neighborhood we visit often. They have children’s clothes for a dollar. I walked out with $30 of goodies, including a wonderful new spring jacket for me. Yes, I needed the jacket, but I didn’t really need to spend the money! One of my greatest failings or pleasures in … Continue reading

In Memoriam – 2009 – Part 3

Before I could even finish my “In Memoriam” blog this year, we lost another celebrity – actress Brittany Murphy. The young actress died on December 20th after she was found unconscious in her bathroom. Her death was determined to be of natural causes, although the official cause of death has not yet been determined. Here are more celebrities that died in 2009: June 23 – Ed McMahon (86) The epitome of a great sidekick, McMahon sat alongside host Johnny Carson for 30 years. He also starred in “TV’s Bloopers and Practical Jokes,” “Star Search,” and served as Jerry Lewis’ co-host … Continue reading

Extreme Punishments

Note to angry parents: Shaving off your kid’s hair to punish her for shoplifting is NOT a good idea. Just ask Ajpacaja-Ajiataz. The Florida dad claims he lost it when he heard that his tween daughter stole jewelry from the local Wal-Mart, and then used a Game Boy without permission, so he did what any angry parent would do… first he hit her with a belt and then he shaved off all her hair. For the record, the 34-year-old father denies using a belt on his 11-year-old daughter, though he did admit that he cut off her locks in a … Continue reading