ArchivesOctober, 2009

Everyone in this house loves Halloween.  It's such a fun holiday.  You get to wear a costume, have fun with friends, and collect lots of candy.  If you're not the adult accompanying children on trick-or-treat, you get to answer the door and see all the neighborhood kids dressed up in their costumes.  What's not to Continue Reading

It's a good thing I work from home. A couple of weeks ago we had a sudden bout of cold weather--cold enough that we actually had to scrap the car windows before driving in the morning.  This is odd for our part of New Jersey in mid-October!  On the second day of the cold snap, Continue Reading

They're not the most attractive way in the world to stay warm in winter, but I confess:  I want a Snuggie. I know that there's been a good bit of Snuggie-backlash over the past year, and I've laughed at the Youtube spoofs as much as anyone else.  And truth be told, there's nothing stopping me Continue Reading

by Robin Fiedler Planning any holiday travel? Still looking for a cheap flight? Air travel is down from last year at the same time, but prices are increasing as I write this. Airline industry experts say last-minute holiday travelers are going to experience sticker shock.  The price-comparison site that also features a flight search FareCompare.com Continue Reading

By Robin Fiedler Halloween 2009 marks the end of Daylight Savings Time in the United States. Late Saturday night at 2 am (actually, very early Sunday morning), we turn back the clocks an hour. The benefits of the Daylight Savings plan, when we turn the clock back an hour in the fall and forward an Continue Reading

I've been collecting cookbooks for nearly twenty years.  I read them like some people read novels. In fact, my Mother's Day gift a few years ago was this bookcase for my cookbooks.  It fits neatly into the corner of my kitchen and has room for all my favorite books.   However, until this summer, I had Continue Reading

When the weather starts getting chilly, I break out my slow cooker. I'm sure I'm not alone in craving soup, stew, chili and pot roast as winter approaches.  And there's nothing like a slow-cooked batch of spaghetti sauce with meatballs.  One pot full makes enough to feed my family of five for at least 8 Continue Reading

by Robin Fiedler It's a 21st-century political, or nationalistic, twist on President John F. Kennedy's "Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country." The "it" in this case is shopping. Despite George Bush urging Americans to go shopping after 9/11 as a show of patriotism, he Continue Reading

It's almost time for my older son's trip to Mississippi.  Along with a large group of students and school staff, he's going to spend a week rebuilding hurricane-damaged homes by day and sleeping on an air mattress in a church gym by night.  Due to airline regulations, they may each bring one checked bag and Continue Reading

by Robin Fiedler For the first time, my family used a pumpkin stencil to carve our Halloween jack-o-lantern. It looks awesome! The downside is that many websites want to charge money for pumpkin stencils, carving templates, carving stencils, pumpkin patterns, or whatever they are called at costs of $4 to $15. Boo on them. Do Continue Reading