If you’re a longtime reader of my blog it should come as no surprise that I am a planning junkie. Earlier this week, I was talking to one of my good friends about her weekly meal planning. She admitted to not really having one; she takes the approach of buying staples and then planning day… Continue reading Meal planning in 8 easy steps
Category: Things I’ve Learned
the things I wish I’d known
Most people I know have a certain number in the back of their minds–the age at which he or she becomes officially old. For me, that particular birthday has already come and gone. It occurred on October 21, 2007. It was the day I turned twenty-ten. At least, that’s the only way I could bring… Continue reading the things I wish I’d known
On lost and lonely moments
One of the things I most remember about being sixteen and pregnant was how the growing slant of my belly had a way of eliciting sideways glances and passed whispers between complete strangers. How they looked on me with eyes that spoke volumes. How even their silent, pursed lips let me know–in no uncertain terms–precisely… Continue reading On lost and lonely moments
This is the way we…lunch
Judging by my Facebook news feed, I think it’s safe to say that the vast majority of American children ventured back to school last Monday. My children, though, have been in school since mid-July. So long, in fact, that our year-round district is nearing its first extended break of this school year. {can I get… Continue reading This is the way we…lunch
On Happy Endings
When I was eighteen I worked with AmeriCorp (also known as the domestic peace corp) as a mentor for pregnant and parenting teens. My own daughter was just turning one so, as you might imagine, I had plenty of hands-on experience with the issues teen parents faced. Still, my role was an ambiguous one; I… Continue reading On Happy Endings
5 Food Guidelines We Live By
We are a family of peculiar eating habits. And by peculiar I mean that we {I} go to great lengths to ensure that we’re not ingesting a bunch of pesticides and chemicals and “food products” with ingredients that are more fit to be found under the kitchen sink than inside our bodies. My children are… Continue reading 5 Food Guidelines We Live By
This is the way we…clean up
Last month I started what I envisioned as a bit of a series here on the Spot. It was a post about our spending habits, entitled, “This is the way I keep the books.” I’m continuing that series today with a post on the infamous Maranich household clean up night. Because, you know, our cleaning… Continue reading This is the way we…clean up
Show Me The $
I thought I was so clever when I chronicled my budgeting method and off the cuff threw in an: oh yeah, come on back and I’ll break down where our money goes. Turns out it was a daunting task. Daunting because while I’m pretty much an open book and wouldn’t have any trouble talking with… Continue reading Show Me The $
This is the way I keep the books
Confession: I’m a wee bit of a control freak. Which would explain why I’m the one responsible for the household bookkeeping. I have been using the same method to balance the budget since I was sixteen years old and moved in with Torri’s dad right before she was born. In fact, Torri’s dad was the… Continue reading This is the way I keep the books
9 Best Things We Bought in 2010
It’s that time again. Tax time, that is. I’ve yet to do mine, but the ever mounting stack of tax forms accumulating in my “Taxes 2010” manila folder tells me that I should get to it. Soon. The looming chore of it got me thinking about where our money was spent last year. And whether… Continue reading 9 Best Things We Bought in 2010
The Grunion, They Run
When I was little my family used to go camping every Memorial Day weekend. We’d drive 70 miles up the coast until we reached our favorite spot of all: Plaskett Creek. The sites there are grassy–some nestled right up against the woods. Just across the highway is Sand Dollar beach. Every year we’d pick up… Continue reading The Grunion, They Run
On A Life Uncommon
As far as weeks go…the last one wasn’t particularly high-ranking in my book. Jeff was out of town again (Orlando, this time), which is never fun. And while he was gone I had a run-in with a 60-something Hellians Angel who–I kid you not–very purposefully threw his ABC gum at my car. ABC, as in,… Continue reading On A Life Uncommon