When I was a kid I remember crossing my fingers that either my parents or Santa would bring me one of the new games or gadgets on the market that year.  Today, I think all too often many children just expect the latest and greatest.  I lost track of how many kids in our neighborhood between the ages of 5 and 10 got the new iPod touch this past Christmas.

It’s January, so I once again contributed to my usual cause and just ordered my Girl Scout cookies from a friend’s daughter.  I always try to rationalize that they are for the rest of the family and are for a very good cause, so it won’t affect my resolution to get back into shape (too much).

I try to remind myself that it’s a sibling thing.  When you have multiple kids, they are not always going to get along.

With all the social media sites online today, it’s so easy for consumers to share feedback on their experiences with a particular business.  But if a review is poor it can be detrimental, which is all the more reason businesses should not only make customer satisfaction their number one priority, but make sure they actually deliver on it.

One of the top New Year’s resolutions many people commit to each year relates to finances.  Everyone wants to save more money and pay down debt, especially after the holidays.  But trying to figure out how & where to cut back is more challenging than ever.

I’ve been called paranoid, even a hypochondriac in the past.  Most of this criticism has come since the ability to search the internet over the last decade has become so easy, as I’m the type to look up everything as soon as it crosses my mind. Let’s be honest, as a mom it’s easy to worry about more serious illnesses when your child has a few symptoms that match up.

Just like all kids, mine can’t wait to get out of school for holiday break.  But once the holidays are over and it’s time to go back, my oldest starts to get depressed and his anxiety kicks in.  With cold weather, dark mornings & evenings, and no other breaks scheduled for 3 months, it’s easy to get the blues.

I’ve never been one to create Honey-Do lists.  Until recently, I stayed home with the kids for almost 2 years while my husband worked long hours so I didn’t want to ask him to spend his weekends working as well.

But this past weekend trying to get ready for visiting family, I realized we all need lists.  After 8 days of two sick kids and getting over my own illness, I can’t describe the condition of our house.  Being in such a rush to get it cleaned up, I realized without providing guidance for the rest of the family they were more in the way than helpful, which was by no fault of their own.

I remember the days when I’d drive home from college and have my father’s “bag phone” with me in the event my car broke down.  I was only to use it if I had a real emergency, and it was so complicated that if I had a real emergency, I’d be in trouble.  And not only did it weigh a few pounds and have a 3-foot cord to plug into the cigarette lighter, the cost of a call would have filled my gas tank.

In my last post I mentioned that one of the things we are planning to do with the kids this New Year’s Eve is talk about New Year’s Resolutions and determine some appropriate ideas for all of us. 

OK – so I’ll admit it.  I don’t know if I’ve ever kept a New Year’s Resolution myself.  I fall into the 70%-80% of Americans research indicates have thrown their resolutions out the window by Valentine’s Day.