Always read the reviews. Unless you really want that thing. Do you ever find that special treasure online—the one you’ve been searching for so much longer than you want to admit? And you know, you know, you should read the customer reviews. But you’re also afraid those reviews will mess it all up for you. They’ll destroy your purchase joy. Do not give me bad news here, other consumers. Don’t we have to consider the possibility bad reviews could be coming from people who are just plain … [Read more...]

Food storage containers are handy beasts. That’s why most of us have that one cabinet full of them. Open the cabinet door, release the little brutes, they tumble out in a beast party of happy-clattery plastic.  They’re the best. But also sometimes they’re the worst. Because: nine containers. Fifty-two lids. And none of those lids fit any of the nine containers. You can try to force a near-fit if you want. But it’s a Cinderella shoe on a mean stepsister. Making do with a lid that’s too … [Read more...]

I wonder how much time I waste deciding on an outfit. And then how much more time actually putting it on. Because let me tell you, it can be a morning-and-a-half project trying to snake my way into the sweater I should’ve gotten rid of year before last. When my kids were younger, my sons came up with a brilliant plan to cut down on the getting-dressed time-waste. They proposed putting on seven shirts on Monday. Tuesday morning, peel off the outer Monday shirt. Hello, Tuesday shirt. They … [Read more...]

My dad is a great dad. His jokes though? Well I’ve never traced this all the way back, but it’s quite possible he invented the dad joke. My dad has jokes on jokes on jokes—no joke. Not good jokes, mind you. Just jokes. Not even original jokes probably. Just…jokes. For the record, dad jokes are usually not as bad as uncle gags. The old “gotcher nose” or the infamous “What’s that behind your ear?” If you have an uncle in the category of “one of those,” hear me when I say, never ever pull his … [Read more...]

Oh those days of feeling I’ve left too many to-do’s unfinished. Ever had those days? I had about 10 years’ worth in a row when my five children were little. I would get to the end of a day and think: Wait. Did I actually get anything done? Anything finished? Anything? Maybe it wasn’t so much that I hadn’t accomplished anything. Just not many/any of the genuine to-do’s on the list. When you have a bunch of babies in a short span of time, there are ever the little surprises in a day. Like … [Read more...]

I need a day-over. I mean a do-over. A day-do-over. Yes, that’s it. Last week I had a day that fell smack-dab into the dreaded category of “one of those.” You’ve had them, right? Like when you wake up late, and after already having a rough start, your coffeemaker leaks everywhere, then dies. It’s like a little coffee murder scene. You end up with no coffeemaker. And death coffee. Then you can’t find your keys. And then when you get to work, your candy bar gets stuck in the machine. Then … [Read more...]

Have we reached the limit for the number of coffee creamer flavors one culture is allowed to have? Because I feel like we must be just about there. I start to wonder if the market – or the dairy case – can hold even one more. And then the holidays hit. That’s when they drag in another couple of dairy cases. Have you seen some of these flavors? There’s one for just about any cookie you can name. Sugar cookie, snickerdoodle, gingerbread—no cookie left behind. Then they add to those every … [Read more...]

Don’t you just love a food-covered holiday table about as big as a football field? You’re juggling several buttered rolls and a plate full of tasty side dishes while you’re trying to score some major turkey. It’s a big play. You’ve got to scramble to hit the turkey before all those ravenous relatives leave you stuck with only dark meat. First down and gravy to go. It’s especially great to have lots of relatives over for a holiday dinner (any “who-gets-the-drumstick” issues aside) because … [Read more...]