A few years ago, I worked at a very exclusive resort as a fine-dinning waitress. I met many celebrities; Katy Perry, Anne Hathaway, Susan Somers, Russell Brand, world leaders, famous entrepreneurs, etc. Each hotel room cost on average $2,500 a night and with gratuity, dinning, room service etc. it ended up being about $4,000 a night per couple. Some…
The Rich Life
Top 15 Pandora Stations That Will Uplift and Calm Any Mood or Day
My son has gotten 6 molars in the past 2 weeks. Which means we have been dealing with lots of crying, whining, and poor sleeping. That, along with everything else has been enough to tip my mood from its normally pretty happy and calm state to a bit of a grumpy and anxious state. Yes,…
My Dr. Messed Up! …Again. 3 Indicators That You Need a New Doctor or a Second Opinion
In the summer of 2013 a health problem I was having continued to get worse and worse. I went to the doctor and the first thing he tried was a hormone to put my health back in order. Well, it didn’t work like it should have. So I went in to see him again. The…
21 Inexpensive Date Ideas
There is no need to spend a lot in order to enjoy each others company. Here are 21 inexpensive Date Ideas for you and your loved one. A night in cooking his/her favorite meal. Go to a special meaningful place and just talk. Go ice skating together and grab some hot cocoa afterward. Look on…
5 MUST-READ Books that Will Spice Up and Strengthen Your Marriage
Note- I am divorced now but because I feel that the books in this article helped me so much during my marriage, I left this article up. Love can be LEARNED and UNLEARNED. We are often forgetting things we know at one time or another. For example, do you remember everything you learned in Calculus? How about…
23 Ways to Save $27,989.37 on Your Wedding
Note- Although I’m now divorced I feel that this information is still pertinent so I’ll keep it up. The Wedding Industry is worth a whopping $55 BILLION dollars. The average wedding costs the happy couple and/or parents an average of $28,671.00! (honeymoon & engagement rings not included). With the honeymoon and jewelry included the average cost is:$37,698.00! Less people are…
Why I Cried in Sadness When I Realized that I Had Wrongly Judged Another Woman
We have all been sick at my house for the last month. Everyone took a turn (make that two turns!)… which means I still have my Christmas decorations up and the house is pretty messy! I forgot my dentist appointment today and when they called me I started scrambling to find a babysitter. Then I…
Words of Affirmation Valentine’s Jars
I read the book The 5 Love Languages. In the book you learn that everyone appreciates being reminded of why they are loved (no matter what love language they have). Some value it more than others but everyone likes knowing why they are loved. So these jars will make just about anyone happy. But is especially a…
8 Ways to Save Money, Lower Calories and Provide a Tastier Lunch for Your Kids
Written by my sister Karen Jensen Bagel hot dog Popcorn chicken and fries Nachos w/ beef French toast sticks with chicken sausage Pizza These are actual lunches our local grade school is serving this month. As appetizing as they might sound…(or not), they sure don’t seem very healthy. And my kids probably wouldn’t eat much of…
3 Ways to Create Happiness Despite Painful Challenges
All of us have challenges. Life really makes us stretch. At times it can become almost more than we can bear. While it is not always possible to remove what is causing us to suffer, we can do a few things to help lessen our pain. When I lived in Germany, I spoke German fluently…
Pedialyte Recipes for Babies and Kids
Recently my son got the flu. He couldn’t keep anything down until I put him strictly on Pedialyte. I had tried coconut water multiple times but he wouldn’t drink it plain. Coconut water (not to be mistaken for coconut milk) is a much healthier electrolyte replacement than Pedialyte and safe for babies and kids….
11 Secrets to Have in Your Labor Bag—For Women Only
In my third trimester I was practically bed ridden (read story here) so I was able to do A LOT of research on pregnancy related topics. Yet, even after reading over 15 different hospital packing lists I still didn’t know about these ’11 secrets to have in your labor bag’. I first found out about these ‘secrets’…
How to Discipline and Comfort Your baby
Although my son is just the sweetest and usually happiest little guy, sometimes he does things that he shouldn’t do. He pulls my hair HARD! He will reach and try to grab friends’ glasses. He will pick things up and throw them. Sometimes he will even scream at us and hit us. I’ve heard people…
Doing This One Simple Thing Will Help Your Children Avoid Misbehaviors
Today our families are under attack from about every walk of life. Full schedules, media, computers, drugs, etc. are all taking away from family time and diminishing bonds of unity. How do we combat this constant onslaught of the family? There are multiple ways, but one of the most influential things we can do is…
Top 20 New Year’s Resolutions…of the Rich
Jim Rohn a late entrepreneur, author and very successful multi-millionaire went from rags to riches. He is one of the most famous motivational speakers of all time and has many well known quotes. One quote that I have always remembered since hearing it years ago is: “Poor people have big TV’s. Rich people have big…
When and How to Say, “No”
I hear the phrase all the time, “You need to learn how to say no” (I think women hear this a lot). Yet, I didn’t know when to say no. I didn’t have any kind of objective guide so I just kept on saying, “Yes”, and “Ok”, and continued to pile responsibilities on myself. Many…
Gift Buying Guide for Indecisive Recipients
Have you ever asked someone what they wanted for Christmas (or their Birthday), only to have them say something like, “Oh nothing” or, “I don’t know” or, “Anything you want to give me”? What I decide to do is to give gifts that relate to their hobbies. This is a gift guide for anyone who is…
3 Simple Ways to Keep Christ in Christmas
1. Serve others. Christ’s every action and decision was based on the welfare of others. He thought not of Himself but of His Father in Heaven, His brothers and sisters, and the eternal nature of His calling. He sacrificed not only His very body and life, but each and every moment He lived, and…
Why, “You Can’t Do It All” is Actually A Compliment
The other day I was stressed out. I had a birthday party to plan, Christmas to decorate for, a big family dinner to help make, a service project I had volunteered for, shopping to get done, cleaning, and a host of other day to day activities going on. And someone said, “You can’t do it all…And…
How Families are Strengthened by Forgiveness
Sitting around, chatting and laughing are things my immediate and extended families enjoy regularly. We also play sports together, support each other’s main events, and work on projects we need help on together. We all get along great (usually) and we make a point to get together often. We support and love each other and understand…
23 Unique Ways to Save $10,516.37 on Your Baby’s First Year… Part 2
In Part 1 (Click here to read) I mentioned that I was able to save $10,516.37 on my baby’s first year. Let me clarify. That number was from my list of things that I bought for our first baby. I took what I paid and subtracted it from what I would have paid by just ordering…
A Common Medical MISDIAGNOSIS That Pregnant Women Need to Know.
Early one morning about 4 months before my son’s due date, I stood up out of bed. A horrendous stabbing pain shot through my lower pelvic area and thighs. It hit me so hard I immediately fell to the floor. I didn’t even have time to reach out to the wall or bed to catch…
Gratitude…How it Can Improve Your Life Today.
This time of year (November), I see all sorts of posts on Facebook about what people are thankful for. Some people cynically joke that they’ll be thankful when all the thankful posts are done. Even though I don’t post 30 things throughout the month, it’s nice to see what people are thankful for and…
Your First-Baby CheckList
First-time parents-to-be… Here is a list of pretty much everything you’ll need for your upcoming baby. Keep in mind all of these things are not necessary. When you see the word ‘SUB.’ I am meaning… You could SUBSTITUTE IT WITH _______. When you see ‘MUST HAVE’ it is an item I feel very passionate about….
23 Unique Ways to Save $10,516.37 on Your Baby’s First Year… Part 1
People always say, “Babies are expensive!” When I got pregnant, I couldn’t wait to meet our little guy. I was ecstatic about everything ‘baby’… all except the costs associated with having a little one. After some research, I found multiple studies that show that the first baby can run you anywhere from $12,000-$26,000 for the first…