Some day when my hair is silver grey and you are older you will find tiny baby teeth held back from the tooth fairy`s vast collection, random works of my kindergarten Picassos and every hand-drawn card my grandchildren ever sent me. When I am old and you are older and all this is meant to be emptied, divided up, sold off or given out you will find the cards I forgot to send and some that were sent to me when my heart was full and I was young and I made my mark on the world as a teacher,…

What hooked me first was the hair. Oh, I’m deadly serious here. Anyone who hangs out at PTPA media web site, or watches the great televised appearances of the PTPA (parent tested and parent approved) winner’s list of products knows who I am talking about when I say PTPA and hair in the same sentence. I am of course, talking about CEO Sharon Vinderine.  A couple of years ago at a digital media conference, PTPA CEO Sharon Vinderine spoke. And then again last year at She’s Connected 2011. Vinderine is a savvy business woman and the head of a really…

Several months ago I spied a great Groupon deal for tickets to see Big Time Rush. Now, to my girls, Big Time Rush is kind of like oh I dunno Bay City Rollers were to me. So that was a no brainer. I bought the tickets and put them away for my oldest daughter’s eleventh birthday. That was my very first Groupon purchase and let me tell you it was a learning experience. I had no clue I was supposed to print out the voucher and bring it with me to reimburse for tickets. Be warned: do that first. Anyways,…

From bras, to brakes, to back to school shopping. This was one of those marathon weeks in the life of me, when life became achingly exhausting. Deadlines mounted, a magazine article was due and then back and ready for edits that needed to be done yesterday and then of course brakes on my mini-van needed an unexpected service and eight paid jobs were due and so on and so forth. Oh, and somehow in there I am supposed to squeeze in massive dental restorations and back to school shopping – Huh?!  Anyways the life of a sandwich generation Mom is…

Outdoor movie night at my sister-in-law’s house. It was a great way to spend a late August night. A sheet hung off the patio set outside, a projector that is borrowed and a DVD from the library. Use your computer to connect with projector. Add some treats, some family members and enjoy. Also very economical. Wordless Wednesday is a photo meme, hosted by many. Tara’s View of the World is where I usually link up. I hope the rest of the days of summer are good to you and your family.

Who doesn’t love taco night? Seriously. We spent a week at the cottage recently and the fridge was bare when we got home. Imagine that, no little magical fairies exist that do my shopping when I am away. Luckily a truckload of boxes at my front door revealed this great Old El Paso Family Fun Kit. I was thrilled to crack it open and have a Mexican – themed evening. The kit contained one Old El Paso Extra Mild Super Tasty Hard Taco Kit, a container of salsa, jalapenos, refried beans, and a family-sized container of Old El Paso Hard…

I was shooting quick pictures of my daughter having fun at a trailer park where friends were staying recently when I spied her shadow. For some reason the image caught me as symbolic.  Wordless Wednesday is a regular photography hop. I like to link up at http://www.tarasviewoftheworld.com/

What a difference a year makes. Readers of thriftymommastips.com know all about this journey we have been on with my mom. It started one year ago and led us down a really rough path for a long period of time. It was tragic, drastic, devastating emotionally and financially, and it has left us all changed. Last summer, my Mom spent the greater part of two months in London hospitals as we tried to figure out what was going on. She was hallucinating and she was confused. Meanwhile her symptoms escalated. It was a sad and exhausting time _ one I…