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I loved home economics in school, it was where I learned to sew and I did a lot of sewing for a long time.  When my husband and I got married, my mother-in-law gave me money to purchase a sewing machine. 

For many years, sewing brought out my creativity and I made some really fun things. 

It seems to me that movies come to DVD sooner and sooner these days. Back in the day I remember when it took a whole lot longer for theater releases to be on VHS.  So when I was in high school (way back in the late 1980s and early 1990s) it was a happy day for me and my friends when Dead Poets Society came out on VHS.  We watched that movie over and over and over again.

When we went on our cruise to Alaska last August we spent a few days visiting with relatives in Vancouver.  We stayed with my aunt and uncle and my cousins brought over a game to play called “Ticket to Ride”.

This was our first experience with the game and it really only took one game for us to grasp the concept of it, so it’s a fairly easy game to learn.

I am one of the first in my social circles to try new things, even when I don’t get them for my blog.  Because we live in a smaller city though, what’s new to me is often old news across most of the country.  I’ll see features on TV morning shows and be all “oh I have to try that!”, only to find out the rest of the country has been ‘trying that’ for months.

I could write a short long book on what that cute kid in the picture has done to make his parents age.

This is my nephew.  My brother is eight years older than I am, and started his family young, so I was an auntie at the age of 12.  Between my parents, two other siblings and myself we spent a. lot. of time with my nephews and niece.  There was one particular summer that my brother, his wife and my parents always seemed to be working at the same time – so my sister and I were left with the kiddos.  If I recall correctly, this was the summer before my nephew started kindergarten.

I have been wearing glasses for more than 25 years.  I still remember the first pair I got.  I was astonished at how well I could see.  My first statement when coming home from the optometrist was:  “Mom, look that sign says ‘Stop’”.  Oh I remember how guilty my mom felt, but I never complained that I couldn’t see, because I didn’t know any differently it was how I thought everyone saw the world.

There are certain things I’ve always taken for granted.  Like not throwing food scraps in the trash.  Okay that may sound like a funny statement, but I’ve always lived in a home that has had a built in garbage disposal unit in the kitchen sink.  Even when I was younger I remember my mom always making sure that we didn’t stick forks, spoons or fingers into the sink when the switch was turned “on”.

Then of course there are the many strange looks I’ve received when I mention using my “Garburator”.  I ‘think’ (no one quote me on this) it was a brand name of a popular garbage disposal system sold in Canada (where I grew up) at one time, and everyone there (or at least everyone I knew) called them garburators. 

Being happy isn’t always the easiest thing to do.  When we’re always on the go expending our time and energy, sometimes feeling like we’re on a treadmill and not really going anywhere, happy is the furthest thing from our mind.  I find myself asking “Why Me?” some days and then catch myself, because I know I DO have a lot to be happy about.

The stories in Chicken Soup for the Soul’s Find Your Happiness will help you gain a better picture of what it means to be happy

5 ½ years ago we sold our 3200 square foot home and down sized.  We bought a condo that had half the square footage.  That brought with it a small dilemma.  What do you keep, and what do you part with?  And an even bigger dilemma, where do you put what you kept?

For some people the size of our home is still large, they live in an even tinier space with more people.  Creativity for storage becomes a must.

I just got finished reading a book called Small Space Organizing by Kathryn Bechen. 

We know you want to keep your family safe on the road, so Bosch is proud to introduce the new ICON wiper blades which do just that. These bracketless wipers are designed without metal or plastic brackets, joints or hinges, which means they’re an improvement over conventional wiper blades.

To celebrate their release, Bosch is holding a contest where one lucky Facebook fan and a guest will win an experience of a lifetime: