The Family Guide

I Got Redken Color at an Aveda Salon: What?

2014-10-27T16:40:00.000-04:00

I've battled frizzy hair all my life, so I figured I should start using hair products that are as natural and good for the hair as possible so that my hair could be in better condition.

This is how frizzy my hair gets.

I chose Aveda products to reach that goal, which (as far as I can tell) are as natural as you can get for hair products. I started buying Aveda products to use at home, and I chose an Aveda salon to get my color done.

But the Aveda salon I picked, Van Michael, which is a big name around Atlanta with many locations, had been using Redken color on me for years without my knowledge.

What? How is that possible? The Aveda logo is prominent on the outside of the salon, and all you can buy there are Aveda products. So, silly me. I assumed that I would have Aveda products applied to my hair.

Not so much.

It appears that the salon I went to is an "Aveda Concept Salon" as opposed to an "Aveda Lifestyle Salon." I'm not sure about all the particulars between the two, and I'm pretty sure that only people in the industry would know, but I've come to find out that only the lifestyle salons must use Aveda products on clients.

The Aveda salon I went to uses Redken products to color the hair (maybe mixed with Aveda products, maybe not, from what a receptionist told me).

So the whole time I was going to the salon and paying premium prices to get my hair colored in what I thought was Aveda color, I was not. I could have gone to any walk-in strip mall hair studio to get Redken color for a much cheaper price. I was also paying extra for conditioner to be added in, which would have been unnecessary if the salon had used Aveda color on me in the first place because Aveda color contains all the conditioners needed.

I'm a big proponent of "buyer beware" and to take responsibility for your choices. In hindsight, I realize I should have asked whether the color I was getting was Aveda color. But, because this was an Aveda salon and all I could see were Aveda products, it didn't occur to me to ask.

I believe the practice of calling itself an "Aveda" salon, concept or otherwise, displaying only Aveda products and having the colorists go into a closed-off backroom to prepare Redken color, is deceptive by omission.

My goal with this post is to let people know this goes on.

I just had my hair done at an Aveda Lifestyle salon. The colorists prepared the color out in the open so the clients could see the products that would go on their hair.

If you care about using natural products on your hair, make sure that you can see the products that are being used, or at least ask your colorist or stylist what products they will be using.

I'm anxious to see whether my hair will remain as smooth and silky as it was after leaving the new salon with Aveda color on my hair all the way up to my next appointment without my hair starting to frizz and becoming unmanageable halfway through, as I was used to.

What do you think? I'd love to hear your comments. Do you think I was naïve, or was this practice deceptive?

I Could Have Had a "Larry David" Moment, But I Chickened Out

2014-08-29T21:19:00.000-04:00

Last night my husband and I went out to dinner for our anniversary. We had a fantastic time and a wonderful meal, and then we were ready for the check. But the waiter told us that we couldn't go yet — we needed to hear about the desserts so we could have something special.

I thought special meant free.
Image source: Wikimedia Commons

My husband still wasn't interested, but I said to him that if the dessert were free, why not? He didn't think it would be free just because the waiter mentioned a special dessert for our anniversary, but I was sure that's what the waiter meant by "special."

Bet's on.

The dessert was beautiful with a large chocolate "Happy Anniversary" message written in cursive across the bottom of the plate.

Time for the check. My husband won. Not free.

If I were Larry David … no not worth it! But you can imagine what he might have done: "Waiter, excuse me. Come here. Didn't you, didn't you say … special? I thought that meant 'free.' Why do you say special unless you mean free? I think …" And cue music.

Boss Jerkitude or Acceptable Behavior?

2014-08-22T10:54:00.000-04:00

In this post, I will refrain from saying whom it happened to, you know, to protect the identity of the persons involved and all that jazz. So here goes: anyone who works and who has a boss can probably relate.

What just happened?
Image source: morgueFile

The boss comes in to visit the store, and everyone is on his or her best behavior, making sure the place is running just right. This place of work happens to be a restaurant.

The two bosses sit at the server's table, and, of course, the server works extra hard to make sure the dining experience is an impeccable one, even running back and forth to the bar to give the bartender new drink ideas one owner has just come up with.

This was a more stressful server experience than most.

You probably know that servers rely on tips, and the better the service, the better the tip they are likely to get. So, in this case, the server was expecting at least to get the average tip, especially considering the meal was free for the owners.

Imagine the server's surprise and disappointment after ensuring a satisfying dining experience to receive no tip. Zero. Zilch. Nada.

The owners provide the job and believe workers should be grateful just to be employed.

Boss jerkitude or acceptable behavior? What do you think?

Costco Etiquette

2014-08-15T15:30:00.002-04:00

My daughter told me about an interesting experience she had at Costco while we were shopping there yesterday.

If you've been to Costco or any grocery store that has a tray of samples, you can probably relate.

Grab it while you can!
Image source: morgueFile

The spicy cheese quesadilla stand was attracting a lot of interest. My daughter and another women were the only two people left after everyone else grabbed their sample. And there were two quesadilla samples left. Sounds simple, right?

Not so much. The woman next to my daughter took one, and just as my daughter was about to take the last one, the woman took it, also. She looked at my daughter and explained that her husband would like to try one, too. OK, kind of strange, but not outrageously rude. At least not yet.

The woman then proceeded to eat both samples herself!

My daughter said she felt as if she were playing Larry David on "Curb Your Enthusiasm."

Do you have a similar rude story? Share it below. We can use a laugh!

What Causes a Man to Have a Hard Fat Belly?

2014-08-14T16:33:00.002-04:00

Now that it's toward the end of summer, I'm sure everyone has seen it: men with hard fat bellies. Ever wonder why or how men can get rid of it?

Image source: morgueFile

You probably refer to the phenomenon of a man with a belly that protrudes similarly to a pregnant woman's as a "beer belly." But the reason men get hard, fat bellies is not always as simple as beer consumption. The reason is the type of fat they carry: omentum fat. Dr. Mehmet Oz, professor of surgery at Columbia University, said on the Oprah TV show that the only purpose of the omentum organ is to store fat. And it stores it underneath the stomach muscles, which makes a man look fat but have a hard belly.

Bad Fat

Though the terms for hard, fat bellies are affectionate and funny: beer belly, potbelly or spare tire, nothing is funny about omentum fat. Doctors also call this sort of fat visceral fat, and it is the most dangerous fat to carry around. Visceral fat is stored under the muscles as opposed to subcutaneous fat, which is stored under the skin. Fat released from the omentum organ travels to the liver. It is processed and then goes to the arteries, which is what causes high LDL cholesterol. Belly fat is supplying

a "feeding tube to your vital internal organs."

What Causes It

The way men and even some women develop hard, fat bellies is from ingesting too many calories. Beer can cause it, but so can eating too much food and drinking sugary sodas. Beer, however, is a big contributor to the problem for several reasons. Beer contains alcohol, and the liver burns off the alcohol instead of the fat, says Michael Jensen, an endocrine expert with the Mayo Clinic. Beer also has lots of calories, and if you drink several, you are ingesting too many calories. Also, the foods many people eat with beer tend to be fattening, such as pizza, chicken wings, onion rings and french fries.

Why Men

If you take in too many calories, your body needs to store the fat somewhere. Women tend to gain subcutaneous fat under the skin as opposed to visceral fat under the muscles. So women can store fat in their legs, buttocks and arms in addition to their bellies. But fat in men tends to go mostly to the belly. If your hard, fat belly measures more than 40 inches, you are at increased risk of developing heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, type 2 diabetes and sleep apnea, says Jensen.

Get Rid of It

The way to get rid of your hard, fat belly is the same way you'd get rid of any type of fat: burn more calories than you take in. Start eating healthy foods and reduce your portion sizes. Also, get moving. Check with your doctor to see whether you can do some moderate aerobic exercise 150 minutes per week. Add a couple of days of strength training to the mix. If you don't already exercise, start slowly by walking. Though you can do situps or crunches as part of your overall exercise regimen, abdominal

exercises by themselves will not get rid of your belly fat. Losing weight is the most important way to have a flatter belly. There is some good news about visceral fat, however: It's typically the first type of fat to go when you start to lose weight.

How I Rehabilitated an Abused Dog

2014-08-13T14:29:00.000-04:00

This post is for my little buddy who is always by my side. Here's the story of how I got Winston:

My middle child is just like her grandmother was and how I am, in at least one way: None of us could or can resist bringing home an animal in need. So the day when my daughter came home with a frightened and starving little creature that immediately took cover under my bed, I knew that we just laid eyes on the newest member of the family. Prince, our rescue from two years prior, would need to learn to share top dog billing in our house. It was obvious this new little guy desperately needed a good home, and we would give it to him.

Abused Dogs Might Not Learn to Trust

We were told that his prior owners had abused this 8-month-old rescue dog, which we soon named Winston. (Combining "Winston" with "Prince," we nicknamed the canine duo "Princeton.") I knew that, because Winston had been abused at a young age, he might never be a fully trusting dog. According to Dr. Nicholas H. Dodman, a veterinary behaviorist, many dogs never recover from abuse experienced during key formative periods of their lives. It did not take long to see the initial signs of abuse: Winston was starving. We could see his bones through his fur, and he had a peculiar white stripe around his hound dog muzzle. This was scar tissue where his mouth had been bound. We would not find out what it was bound with until several months later.

Use the Calm and Quiet Approach

Winston, as any abused animal would behave, would not explore his environment. He mostly hid under the bed or under a table with a floor length covering. This is common for an abused animal. According to Dr. Dodman, abused animals often remain quiet and reclusive. I just let Winston know that I was there if he needed me and went about my day. But Prince was not so willing. He wanted to get to know Winston. I put Winston and Prince together in a small space in the basement, and I sat between them. When Prince became too aggressive and pushy, I calmly commanded him to "back off," a behavior we teach our dogs before allowing them to interact with others. I was protecting Winston, and I think that he could tell. After about 15 minutes, I had my daughter bring Prince upstairs, and I sat with Winston and calmly petted him. We were bonding.

Give Them What They Want

Winston was a fast learner. By the next day, he was comfortable eating next to Prince, and he was not hiding as much. By the third day, he wanted to explore outside in the backyard. Later, I took him on a walk with Prince.

The Daily Walk

To this day, Winston lives for his walks. When I have been sitting at my computer too long, he will nudge my leg and spin around in a circle to let me know he wants to go exploring. Although this is really not good behavior, I give Winston some slack because of the past abuse.

Learn to Desensitize

We knew from the start that Winston's mouth had been bound, but we did not realize it was with duct tape until months later, when we were making a craft. Winston, at his normal post at my feet, suddenly shot his tail between his legs and darted up the stairs, shivering uncontrollably. The sound of the duct tape being pulled from its roll must have brought back a dark memory for this poor, loving little dog. It was a heartbreaking moment. But by this time, Winston trusted me, so I walked over to him with the roll of duct tape in my hand. I began petting him with the other hand while I let him sniff the duct tape. I did this for several minutes with the goal of desensitizing Winston to duct tape. Two months later, when my daughters and I did another duct tape craft, Winston did not blink an eye.

I Cosigned a Car Loan: Am I Responsible After an Accident?

2014-08-12T13:59:00.000-04:00

As soon as your kids are ready to buy a car, they might ask you to cosign. You might want to, but you should first know what you are responsible for before you do.

Image source: morgueFile

You might want to help a friend or family member who can't get a car loan on his or her own by cosigning on the loan. You probably realize if that person defaults on the loan, you need to pick up the slack and make the payments yourself. Either that or tank your credit score and, if that happens, you'll be the one who'll need a cosigner in the future. But what about if the person you cosign for has an accident? Are you responsible for that, too?

Everyone's particular circumstances differ. The answer depends on many factors such as these:

Whether you're on the title
Whether you have an auto insurance policy
Whether the car is listed on your insurance
Whether you have an umbrella insurance policy

An umbrella insurance policy covers more than a standard

policy does. It could cover you if you are sued for damages resulting from an accident the person you consigned for was in. If you cosign on a car loan, you might want to consider adding this policy.

Cosigner or Co-borrower?

Generally, a distinction is made between a cosigner and a co-borrower. A co-borrower is listed on the car's title, and a cosigner is not. The co-borrower is considered the owner of the car just as much as the person who drives the car. You are more likely to be held responsible after an accident if your name is on the car's title. But you should still check with your insurance company or an attorney to determine what would apply in your case.

Negligent Entrustment

You might also be sued because of a term in the law called "negligent entrustment." This would apply if the person suing you could prove that you knew the person you cosigned for was unfit to drive the car safely. Reasons could include age, inexperience and a history of reckless driving.

6 Home Remedies for Bad Breath

2014-08-11T14:18:00.000-04:00

If you're like me, you never want to force your possible bad breath on an innocent bystander. And, when you're in a social situation, you cannot just breathe into your cupped hand to check. Popping mints and gum might mask bad breath for a little while, but those methods do not deal with the underlying problem. Several home remedies for bad breath are out there that address the two reasons for bad breath: oral hygiene difficulties and digestive tract problems; you just need to learn what those home remedies are.

Oral Hygiene

1. Drink Water

This first of the bad breath remedies is so basic you might not have even considered it: drinking more water. The Mayo Clinic says that when you don't drink enough water, your mouth can become too dry to wash away bacteria and food particles. Keeping your mouth moist helps wash all that nasty stuff away.

2. Rinse with Mouthwash

Using mouthwash works the same way water does; it rinses away bacteria and food particles. But it's important to choose a mouthwash that does not contain alcohol, which can actually contribute to bad breath. Alcohol dries out the mouth, and we now know from the Mayo Clinic that dry mouth encourages bacteria that cause bad breath.

3. Brush Your Tongue

Beside brushing your teeth twice a day and flossing once a day, you need to brush your tongue if you have bad breath. Bacteria can collect there. Brush as far back as you can using a toothbrush or a tongue scraper.

Digestive Tract Health

Image source: morgueFile

4. Eat Celery, Apples and Carrots

Celery, apples and carrots have a high fiber count. You need to chew fibrous foods well, which produces saliva in your mouth, a cleansing agent. Fibrous fruits and vegetables can also help break down plaque and sulfur compounds, which contribute to bad breath. Note that a white coating on your tongue indicates you have high sulfur content in your mouth, explains Jonathan B. Levine, a world-renowned dentist.

5. Eat Foods with Vitamin C

Fruits that contain vitamin C, such as blueberries and citrus fruits, create an unfriendly environment for bacteria. And vitamin C does double duty as a bad breath remedy because it helps prevent gum disease, which leads to bad breath. You cannot substitute vitamin C supplements for food to fight bad breath because the supplements could upset your stomach, which could cause bad breath, according to Cynthia Sass, a registered dietician and ADA spokesperson.

6. Drink Black Tea

Black tea contains polyphenols that kill bacteria responsible for bad breath, according to 2003 research conducted by scientists at the University of Illinois. The polyphenols in the black tea also help prevent plaque from forming on teeth. Black tea specifically helps to get rid of the sulfurous rotten egg smell.

Do you have any tried and true bad breath remedies? If so, let me know comment section below!

Why do some guys like feet?

2014-08-10T16:29:00.001-04:00

This post I originally wrote for Yahoo! Shine attracted a lot of interest and some great comments. I hope it continues to do so here as well.

Guys who like feet are more common than many people might think. Feet are curvy, sensitive, and oh so responsive to touch. What guy wouldn't like them? But deep down women probably already know this. Why else would we totter around on ridiculously high heels or wear strappy sandals that show off our latest mango-hued pedicure? And besides, all that prancing about requires a nice foot rub at the end of the day.

Image source: morgueFile

Intimacy

Men who like feet want to do more than look at them. To a guy who adores tootsies, sucking toes and licking insoles are as intimate an act as

intercourse, according to self-proclaimed foot fetishist Izzy Cihak. Dr. Reef Karim, psychiatrist and relationship expert, said the fetish "could get a little more freaky like needing to be walked on by smelly, dirty feet." He told me that he has heard the "dirty feet thing" from a few people. But gals who are just looking for a soothing foot massage will be disappointed. A massage is too functional and removes all the sexiness involved.

Cinderella

Any girl who watched Cinderella as a child drew a connection between men and feet, but not just any feet -- small delicate ones. The prince immediately rejected the big-footed stepsisters for Cinderella, who possessed a perfectly sized foot. Men, like Prince Charming, are visual creatures who are apt to focus on a particular body part.

Theories

Although there is really no telling why some men are focused on feet, theories abound. One Freudian belief suggests it stems from shame. Maybe a little boy sees a sex organ and quickly looks away out of embarrassment, focusing his eyes on the feet instead. Voila. Feet and sex become intertwined.

April Masini, relationship advice expert and author of "Date Out Of Your League," voiced a similar theory. She told me, "Men who are coming of age and discovering sexual feelings as they relate to women's bodies may have had an initial sexual urge at the sight of a woman's usually covered up feet. That memory stays long after the young man is a fully mature man."

Karim pointed out that women's feet can "serve a submissive purpose. Submissive men worship women's feet, like to be walked on by those feet, and the feet show sexy dominance."

Dr. Ava Cadell, who founded the Loveology University, explained to me, "Some foot worshippers can only experience orgasms while making out with a woman's foot because it is the most erogenous of all the sexual zones for them. They often long to be a foot slave to a woman and will suck toes (also known as shrimping) until the point of no return."

Compatibility

Regardless of the reason, if your honey likes feet and you abhor being touched there, well, the relationship will have a difficult time succeeding. On the other hand (or foot), if you like all the foot attention, this just might be a good fit.

The Disadvantages of Reverse Mortgages

2014-08-09T21:15:00.000-04:00

My aunt took out a reverse mortgage back when they were a brand-new financial product per my advice. I've learned a lot about them since then.

A reverse mortgage allows a homeowner 62 or older to borrow against the home's equity. This type of arrangement can be an attractive option for a retired person who has lots of equity built up in a home but doesn't have enough money to afford daily living expenses, as was the case with my aunt. I suggested she take out a reverse mortgage in the early 1990s, before I knew much about them. Although it was probably the right choice for her, I have since learned of the various disadvantages that exist.

They're Complicated

A reverse mortgage is a type of loan, and a complicated one at that. The principal and interest must be paid off at some point -- when the borrower moves, sells the house or passes away. This amount could be quite large since the borrower doesn't pay the loan back monthly. The amount owed keeps increasing, and interest continues to build. The process to determine how much a person can borrow is also complicated; it's based on a percentage of the home's worth, its location and, in the case of co-owners, the age of the youngest borrower.

Source: morgueFile

They're Expensive

Reverse mortgages are expensive when you consider the origination fees and closing costs. Servicing fees also occur throughout a mortgage's term. Because of the high costs, it's a bad idea for borrowers to take out reverse mortgages if they intend to leave their homes in fewer than five years. My aunt had no plans to move, so no worries there. But if health reasons require borrowers to live in medical facilities or nursing homes for 12 consecutive months, the loans become due. This did happen to my aunt but only after she had the reverse mortgage for about 15 years. Which brings me to another disadvantage: keeping these loans out for a long time isn't a great option. The longer borrowers have reverse mortgages the bigger the loans grow because of compounding interest.

Monthly Insurance Premiums

Most reverse mortgages are offered through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Federal Housing Administration. All people who take out an FHA-insured reverse mortgage must pay a monthly insurance premium. These fees need to be paid upfront or they'll be added to the reverse mortgage. The latter incurs interest charges.

Less to Leave to Heirs

A reverse mortgage can easily eat all the equity left in the home. My aunt wanted to leave the house to my cousin, but she needed to pay off the loan in full to keep it. The loan was not more than the property's value, but if it were, my cousin would have had to pay a loan larger than the home's value. If she had chosen to sell the house, however, the debt would not have been more than what the house sold for because the loan was from the FHA. A non-FHA loan from a private company, a nonprofit organization or a state or local government might not have the same guarantees or protections.

A Bad Option

Reverse mortgages might be a worse option compared to other choices. A home equity loan, a home equity line of credit and loans made by state and local governments to pay for items such as home repairs and property taxes aren't as expensive as reverse mortgages. They require monthly payments, so they work only if borrowers can afford to make them.

Why I'm Bucking the Yoga Trend

2014-02-06T10:52:00.000-05:00

Yoga to me is like pickles. I keep trying to like both, but every time I try either, nothing changes. No matter what kind of pickle I try -- Kosher dill, sour, or those sweet ones you often find on burgers -- I just don't like them. It's the same with yoga. I've heard about all the benefits of yoga -- improved flexibility, stronger muscles, improved posture, reduced stress and increased spirituality -- but still, I don't like yoga.

The Beginning

I started attending yoga classes because my daughter was taking it for her physical education course at school. She loved it, and it is no small feat when a teenager shows an interest in anything positive. So I figured I needed to try, too. Plus, my gym conveniently houses a yoga studio. It was the perfect set up.

Too Hard

I showed up to my first class. The atmosphere was one I found more suited to a relaxing spa day, but I was at the gym. When I work out, I like to listen to loud music and work hard. This seemed altogether too relaxing for me, but I was open-minded. And then came the poses. We needed to get into certain postures that would flow naturally to the next pose, which I later learned is "hatha yoga." There were about eight or 10 such poses that we'd repeat what seemed like 100 times. It was really difficult, and I'm in pretty good shape.

Too Easy

The next experience I had was much easier, but it was too easy. It felt like one long warm-up with no real exercise involved. I didn't see the point of that one. I tried a few more classes, but nothing seemed satisfying.

Too Weird

I also never found an instructor I liked. I mean, they all seemed like wonderful people, but being a captive audience to the various stories they told made me wonder whether I was attending a poetry reading or a performance art show.

Too Illegal

The strange words were a little off-putting: Namaste, for one. It was all getting somewhat cultlike for my tastes. And what is the deal with hot yoga performed in 105-degree-Fahrenheit conditions? Yes, I know the heat is supposed to prime the muscles for enhanced stretching, but some people do this to lose weight. They should wake up. The only weight loss going on is temporary water weight. Not to mention that its founder Bikram Choudhury was sued for sexual harassment, and then settled. Not very yogi-like.

Too Narcissistic

My conclusion is that yoga's for skinny people who like to show off their cute, overpriced Lululemon yoga pants they can then wear to Whole Foods as they pick out their faux hamburgers, nondairy ice cream and tofu.

Maybe Not the End

I know I'd probably get more out of yoga if I had a better mindset and took time to learn the discipline, but meh. On the other hand, I found that I like the pickles at Ted's Montana Grill. So maybe there is still hope for yoga yet.

Photo by Robert Bejil

Wikimedia Commons

The Liberal Woman's Paradox

2012-05-04T13:27:00.000-04:00

Feminism, I thought, was supposed to liberate women – to pave the way for opportunities and to give women choices. Women do not need to be homemakers or stay-at-home moms in modern society, but neither do they need to have a career outside the home to be of value. Some overly vocal liberals do not seem to get this, or if they do, they have disdain for women who do not work outside the home.

Never Worked a Day

Liberal strategist Hilary Rosen verbalized this all too common disparagement when she said Ann Romney, mother of five, has never worked a day in her life. Romney graciously reminded Rosen that she chose to raise her children and that people need to respect the choices of others.

Uneducated Women

Just a few days after Rosen’s arrogant remark came another gem from NPR’s Mara Liasson on Weekend Edition Sunday. Liasson made a distinction between “stay-at-home moms” and “educated women.” NPR immediately tried to pretend this never happened by scrubbing the clip and the transcript displayed on the website. But the damage was done. Although Liasson claimed to misspeak, listeners that day heard what she really thinks.

Liberal Arrogance

The Democratic Party likes to pretend it is the voice of women. If that were true, the Party would not be filled with women who look down their noses at others who don’t fall into their ideal of what a woman should be. Many liberal women in the Democratic Party think they are better than stay-at-home moms, period, end of story.

Nothing New

This is nothing new. Teresa Heinz Kerry put down Laura Bush, and Hilary Clinton mocked all stay-at-homes. Kerry accused Bush of never having a real job. Clinton said she chose to fulfill her profession instead of staying home to bake cookies and have teas.

Human Connections

The Democratic Party is supposed to be fighting for women’s policies. How is anyone supposed to believe that when the women in it show such contempt for people who do the most difficult job there is to do well? The success of our country depends on how well we raise our children. Female liberal politicians should keep that in mind.

I Redefined Luxury

2012-02-24T10:31:00.000-05:00

Trying to raise a family and indulging my taste for luxury do not always coincide. When the economy took a turn for the worse after the housing market collapsed, I decided I had better make some changes.

I have always loved to shop, and it got to the point that I was buying Tiffany & Co. for my daughters and too many Coach bags for myself. I knew that this needed to stop, but that was more easily said than done. Luxury was still important to me, so I redefined what luxury was.

The bottom line is that luxury should be something that brings personal fulfillment – not something that involves brand names in an effort to impress others. Luxury is still important to me, but I found that it could embody life’s simple pleasures. Find out more about how you can rethink luxury by reading an article I wrote about redefining luxury.

Photo by Carol Kramberger

Congress Caves on SOPA/PIPA

2012-01-21T17:25:00.000-05:00

http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1499

Power to the people has not been as strong as it was on blackout day regarding SOPA and PIPA since the hippie anti-war protests of the 1960s. Because millions of Internet users contacted Congress to stop legislation on bills that would result in Internet censorship, Congress indefinitely postponed SOPA and PIPA legislation. It looks as if we are safe, for a while anyway. But the government wants control of the Internet, and I’m afraid some other scheme will rear its head sooner or later. If you want some background on the situation, check out my article about SOPA and PIPA really being about government control. Saying it was about Internet piracy was just a front.

South Carolina Debate Started Off Lively

2012-01-20T14:40:00.000-05:00

As I watched the candidates take the stage, I knew I would be open-minded to anything they had to say – all except Rick Santorum that is. He lost me before the South Carolina debate even happened when he compared gay marriage to polygamy. So the debate for me was among three people: Ron Paul, Newt Gingrich and Mitt Romney (and in that order).

The South Carolina debate had some good one-liners, but I was disappointed that the national debt was not a topic. Ron Paul was able to mention a couple of times though that he plans to cut $1 trillion his first year in office, mostly by getting rid of entitlements. I guess the debate never went there because no one wants to discuss that the United States is bankrupt. At any rate, if you want to see some of the memorable quotes from the debate and why Newt Gingrich received a standing O, check out my commentary from Yahoo! News.

Casey Not Guilty – No Justice Today

2011-07-05T19:28:00.000-04:00

Well, justice wasn’t served after all. The jury had reasonable doubt, despite the mounds of circumstantial evidence and motive the prosecution brought out.

Casey lied about having a job and a nanny for two years. As soon as Caylee became old enough to talk, Casey looked up "how to make chloroform" and "neck-breaking" on her computer. When Casey decided to kill Caylee, Casey gave Caylee chloroform, put three pieces of duct tape on her nose and mouth, wrapped her in the Winnie-the-Pooh blanket, put her in a trash bag, and then put her in the trunk of her car. Then, Casey went to Blockbuster with Tony, her boyfriend. When the car began to smell, Casey backed it into her garage, put Caylee into a laundry bag, borrowed a shovel from her neighbor, laid Caylee on the ground where she contemplated burying her, decided against it, and threw her into the swamp. Casey then changed her MySpace password to Timer55, knowing that was how long she could keep up the lies to her mother as to Caylee's whereabouts -- in 55 days, Caylee would have turned 3. Casey then partied and lived with her boyfriend, all the while lying to everyone on earth about where she and Caylee were. Casey, as Linda Drane Burdick said, was the only person who had a better life with Caylee gone. Casey had access to everything associated with Caylee's death: the duct tape, the blanket, the laundry bag, the clothes and the car.

Did the jury make the correct decision? I think not. Well, maybe some justice will occur and Casey will get her tubes tied.

Casey Anthony Trial Ends

2011-07-05T00:45:00.000-04:00

Wow. Having a blog that includes parenting tips never prepared me to learn what likely happened to little Caylee Anthony at the hands of her mother, Casey. Today, on what should have been a celebration of our nation’s independence, the Casey Anthony case wrapped up, and the jury is deciding Casey’s fate.

Many people who did not follow the trial, as I did, believe that Casey might have accidentally killed Caylee, but those who did follow the trial know that what Casey did was premeditated murder.

Linda Drane Burdick concluded closing arguments in what she hoped would be a last minute field goal. It was. Burdick asked the jury to decide who benefited from little Caylee’s death. Burdick showed that it wasn’t Cindy, Caylee’s grandmother, by playing a panic-stricken 911 call that Cindy made imploring police to find her granddaughter. It wasn’t George, Caylee’s grandfather, who tried to kill himself to be with Caylee. No. The only person who benefitted by Caylee’s death, Burdick demonstrated via photographs: One was of Casey partying and dancing days after her daughter being “missing,” and the other was of the tattoo Casey received days after killing Caylee – la bella vita, the beautiful life.

In case you are wondering whether this was a premeditated murder, think about this. Casey searched on her computer about how to make chloroform three months prior to the killing. After she killed Caylee, her MySpace password was Timer55, which meant that Casey only had 55 days to tell her mother lies about Caylee’s whereabouts until her mother would insist on seeing Caylee. In 55 days after the murder, Caylee would have turned 3 years old, and Cindy would have expected to see her for the birthday. Casey was caught on day 31 and never had a chance to get into her long-term lie.

If justice is served, the jury will come back with a guilty verdict of murder in the first degree.

Not the Hand Dryers Again

2011-04-20T21:21:00.000-04:00

I recently returned from a trip to D.C. with my husband and youngest child. D.C. is a great place to take a school-age child for a sightseeing trip. It’s educational, exciting, and if you go during the cherry blossoms as we did, beautiful. The only drawback was that no matter where we went in our nation’s capital, the restrooms were only equipped with electric hand dryers. There was not a paper towel to be had. I suppose this was in an effort to be more green, which I am almost always for. But I draw the line when, well, it’s just plain gross. In case you didn’t realize it, electric hand dryers blow bacteria all over your hands. If you want more information, please check out my article on Electric Hand Dryer vs. Paper Towels.

Help for Autism

2011-03-26T21:17:00.000-04:00

I grew up in Anaheim, California, so I have had my share of time spent at Disneyland. Naturally, I wanted the same experience for my own children, so my best high school friend and I would take our children to Disneyland whenever we got the chance. I’ll never forget the time, though, when my friend’s little boy wandered off while we were trying to get all the kids their meals. My heart stopped for a moment, and time seemed to stand still as panic set in. Hundreds of people were around us, and it seemed as if we would never find my friend’s son. Fortunately, after five of the longest minutes of our lives, we found him.

Today, I read in “USA Today” that kids with autism tend to wander off, and even worse, these children sometimes either don’t realize that they are lost or don’t know how to ask for help. My heart goes out to parents who must live and deal with their child wandering off. It’s important for neighbors and friends to understand the gravity of this situation, and it’s important for parents to find the best solution for their particular circumstance.

Maybe my article on Autism Home Programs for Parents can help you determine whether you have an autistic child and the steps you can take to help your child.

Winning with Tiger Blood

2011-03-13T11:28:00.000-04:00

Listening to Charlie Sheen’s ravings is kind of funny…at first. Who wouldn’t laugh at some alpha male proclaiming that he has “tiger blood, man” or one who says, “I have one speed; I have one gear. Go?” Poor Charlie may think he’s winning, but the whole world knows he isn’t.

Charlie Sheen admits to using more drugs than anybody could take and survive. Sheen says the run he was on made “Sinatra, Flynn, Jagger and Richards look like droopy-eyed armless children.” Sheen may think that he can blink and cure his brain, but has he really come clean?

Drug addiction is a complex problem that is difficult to treat and is subject to relapse. Many parents deal with drug abuse regarding their teenage children, and many moms become addicted to painkillers or other drugs to cope with life. I hope the articles I’ve written on these subjects can help you out if you or your child is struggling with this battle: Teen Drug Abuse and I Need Help With My Prescription Drug Addiction.

The Scale

2011-01-27T11:42:00.002-05:00

My husband brought home a new scale last week. A digital one that you cannot “adjust” to make the numbers better. That scale was sitting in the bathroom just staring at me for a week until I finally got the nerve to get on it.

Don’t hate me for this, but the number was actually lower than I thought it would be. I owe this to a book I recently read, “Younger Next Year for Women,” that changed my life.

I’ve always been active, but this book kicked it up a notch, advising women to not only exercise, but to make it part of your life, devoting as much energy to exercising as we do to anything else if we want to keep in shape as we age.

I wrote a short article for “Modern Mom, called Fitness Programs for Women. I hope the article inspires you to make exercise a part of your life, and if you have time, pick up the book, and get healthy.

The New Car

2011-01-18T19:42:00.002-05:00

I recently bought a new car, and I am now wise enough (I won’t say old enough, but yeah, that too) to know how to do this without being screwed. But, that wasn’t always the case. The first car I bought, a cute Triumph convertible, sat in the car repair shop almost as much as I had it with me. I learned the hard way that I needed a reliable car that I could afford and that looks were not the most important factor.

If you are in the market for a new car, the best advice I can give you is to prepare. Figure out what type of car is going to best suit your lifestyle, read car reviews and find out the fair price of the car. I spelled out the process for readers of “The Nest” online magazine. Maybe the article, Steps for Buying a New Car, can help you. Happy shopping!

Getting Started

2011-01-18T13:41:00.001-05:00

Laura Agadoni

Because I write for a living, I thought starting a blog was going to be easy, but it really isn’t, at least not for me. I mean, sure I can write about a topic, no sweat, but blogs are supposed to be more free form, right?

This blog, if I do it right, is going to help you get though some of life’s difficulties. I have been fortunate to be able to work in my field of journalism, and then stay home and raise my family. Now that two of my kids are grown and one is a new teenager, I have time to get back to my career.

For the past year or so, I’ve been writing about and researching topics that explain many issues that young families tend to want to know, from how to make a typical household budget, to determining whether you are pushing your child too far regarding sports, to how women can remain in great shape through their 80s.

When I research and write about a topic that I believe is going to be useful, I’m going to share it here. I have the time to research subjects to my heart’s content, so this blog is my way of giving back. I hope it helps you!

Please feel free to leave me a comment. I encourage and appreciate feedback, good or bad.
Here's an article I wrote to start off. If you carry any debt, you might be interested in the Ultimate Debt Strategy.