You’ll Really Clean Up With This Loyalty Program

LEAVE A COMMENT 2017 April 11

Disclosure: I’m proud to be working with CVS Pharmacy for their 2017 influencer relations program. All opinions expressed are my own, and all product claims or program details shared should be verified at CVS.com or with the appropriate manufacturers.

Are you someone who procrastinates until you run out of something you absolutely need, and then runs to the store to get it?

Think tissues, laundry detergent, and toilet paper? Well, now that you’re undoubtedly preparing to do a thorough spring cleaning–inside and outside the house–isn’t it time to stock up on the essentials so you can get the job done efficiently? And, once the cleaning is complete, you’ll want to make sure that everything you and your family require to enjoy the great outdoors is right at hand!

Take it from me. I habitually postponed buying crucial items until my cupboards were bare, and then I made a made dash to the store, vowing ‘never again.’ Once I did the smart thing, and started stocking up, I discovered how nice it is to be outfitted and organized.

Here’s my list of spring essentials, for you and your home. You’ll find every one at CVS Pharmacy, my favorite drugstore.

Whether you’re gently cleaning the inside of your refrigerator, powerfully scrubbing the outside deck after the winter, or making the windows glisten, there are plenty of sprays, powders, creams and liquids to do the task well.

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What Do Elvis Presley And Eleanor Roosevelt Have In Common?

LEAVE A COMMENT 2017 April 3

OK, so you’re stranded on a desert island. What famous person would you like to be stranded with you? Your responses were priceless! Here are some of our favorites.

“Tom Hanks. He’s been stranded before and made it back home.”
Lorie Myers Worley

“My Mama and Gramie. We would be laughing all day!”
Joan Deborah Owens

“My Daddy. You may say he is not famous, but to me he was the most famous person I have ever known. I was 26 when he died and I miss him just as much today as I did when he died.”
Debbie Edenfield Mcdanie

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Keep Those Cool Compliments Coming!

LEAVE A COMMENT 2017 March 14

Would you rather be complimented for the way you look or something you’ve accomplished? Hmm, hard question. Here are some compliments you’ve recently received.

“I was around the corner at a social gathering and overheard some person say, ‘GiGi, she’s such a nice and funny lady.’”
GiGi Hall Rivera

“That I’m a teacher like Mary Poppins.”
Laura Cartwright

“Had a strange man in a restaurant come up to my table. He said to me, ‘you must have had a beautiful mother.’ I was taken aback. I thought that was such a nice thing to say.”
Nancy Austin

“My 29- year old gorgeous daughter told me she really hopes that when she reaches my age she is as beautiful as i am. Not only was I stunned, but got really teary.”
Mokihana Jourdan

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Scary Things That Have Happened To Us Recently

LEAVE A COMMENT 2017 February 15

Some of us are darn lucky because the scariest thing that’s happened to us recently was misplacing a credit card. Others, not so lucky. Life’s all about perspective, isn’t it?

“I was nearly wiped out on a motorway by a car that spun out of control in the fast lane, missing me only because I touched the brakes gently. It continued to spin, smashing into the barrier in the main lane . The driver was killed. Only time in my life where I know I could have died.”

Debbie Tynan

“My marriage falling apart and having lost our beautiful period home with pool and quarter acre block…for a while it looked like we would be homeless..and losing my son to my husband, as my son had to live with him..horribly scary , heartbreaking, incredibly sad..33 years of marriage meant nothing to my husband.”

Carine Munro

“Menopause heart palpitations.”

Debbee Taylor Melzow

“Losing my nursing job because I became very sick!”

Pauline Green

“My husband died in November.”

Karen Marshall-Salyers

The Most Memorable Thing Your ‘Child’ Has Done For You

LEAVE A COMMENT 2017 February 12

Many parents jest that they only hear from their children when they want something. That may be true, but some of our offspring really spring into action to show us their love when it’s least expected. Take these kids, for example!

“My son Matthew sent me roses for Valentine’s Day while he was overseas serving our country. I’ll never forget how awesome that was!”
Kelli Wight

“My daughter saved my life with minutes to spare when she MADE a hospital doctor examine me when no one else could see how poorly I was. Then she and my son–aged 23 and 17–spent months visiting me in hospital and further months getting me well again at home. I am so proud of them.”
Jayne Sims

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How Often You See Your Adult ‘Kids’

LEAVE A COMMENT 2017 January 31

We often can’t wait for our kids to get out of the house when they’re teenagers. But, oh, how we love to see them walking up our front steps once they become adults, with real jobs, actually nice personalities and homes of their own. When we asked how often you see your grown ‘kids,’ your responses were engaging, as always!

“As often as possible…love love love seeing my adult children and their families as much as we can but try hard always not to pressure.. they are all building and living their lives which is just as it should be…when we do get together it’s lovely, just lovely to see them, talk with them, feed them and love them .. aww and then there’s the added beautiful bonus of the grandchildren.”

Heather Hailstone Bradshaw

“Never. I’m in Oregon, one lives in Texas (6 yrs. since I’ve seen him) and the other now lives in Hawaii, but before that Nevada (I’ve seen him once in 4 yrs.). And I hate it.”

Jodi Smith Rasar

“My only son moved to Vermont last July for my daughter- in-law to pursue her master’s degree, I live in California. We Skype once seek but I miss him terribly.  I’m planning to visit them in the spring.”

Deborah Lee Wilson

“During holidays. We hope to move to be closer to two of them. None is closer than a 10-hour drive. They left Indiana after college to find good jobs.”

Debra Klockow

Keep Reading…

What You Are Most Looking Forward To This Year

LEAVE A COMMENT 2017 January 18

What does 2017 have in store for YOU?!

“I turn 50 this year.”

Tamara Williams

“Staying cancer free, being financially stable and loving my job, just drama free.”

Connie Renee Sargent

“Marriage…Or not”

Linda Diane Ferber


“Good health to me, my family and friends! If you’ve got good health, you’ve got everything!”

Karin Anderson Chaves

“An opportunity to make a difference.”

Di Kostielney Goodrich

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Your Priciest Purchases Of 2016

LEAVE A COMMENT 2017 January 5

One FOF did something wonderful for 50 of her dearest friends and relatives. Another is treating herself to the same thing, 12 times! We asked about your most expensive purchase of 2016, and the answers were as varied and interesting as you are!

“I retired and bought myself a horse, brand new truck and horse trailer so we can travel together! All told $62k. Aaarrggghhhhh!”

Shannyn Scassero

“2 puppies @ $300 each. In my defense it was also my dumbest purchase! One would have been enough work but nooooooo, like a genius I had to double that.”

Jodi Smith Rasar

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See Life More Clearly In “Manchester By The Sea”

LEAVE A COMMENT 2017 January 4

The movie Manchester by the Sea won’t only give you a gigantic lump in your throat; it will make you see life just a little more clearly than you did 137 minutes earlier. And that can be an especially good thing during these unsettling times all over the world.  

Casey Affleck hauntingly plays Lee Chandler, who returns to the community where he was born and raised when his older brother dies, and is shocked to learn that he is the sole guardian of his 16-year-old nephew. We don’t know much about Lee at this point, except that he’s a loner handyman for an apartment complex in Boston; he’s depressed, and he’s terribly angry. But, as the story unfolds, we learn about the unspeakable tragedy that made him leave Manchester by the Sea, and we struggle along with him as he is forced to face his deeply troubled past and decide where to take his future.

Every single character in the gut-wrenching film, as well as the dialog and storyline, are so unpretentious and realistic that it seems at times to be a documentary. I held my breath when Lee’s nephew Patrick (beautifully played by Lucas Hedges) visited the hospital morgue to see his dad, and cheered him when he was clumsily trying to hook up with a girlfriend before her mother knocked on the bedroom door. I sided with Lee’s wife Randi (played by Michelle Williams), when she confronted his rowdy and drunk friends to get out of the house in the wee hours of the morning. And my heart broke when Randi, this time as Lee’s ex-wife, apologizes to him, saying “I should fuckin’ burn in hell for what I said” (after their tragedy.)  In the book of most memorable movie scenes of all time, that one definitely should be on page one.

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Making Post-Holiday Cleanup Easy Peasy

LEAVE A COMMENT 2017 January 4

It happens the same exact way every single year: The holidays are over but the cleanup is just beginning.

Despite your best intentions, it’s impossible to keep the house organized and tidy once the non-stop festivities begin. But now that the guests are gone, you’re facing everything from a yucky, greasy oven and your toddler grandson’s grape jam fingerprints in the kitchen, to countless dustballs, cookie crumbs and candy wrappers on every floor and rug. And even if cousin Carole’s Chow Chow puppy is captivating, the hills of fur she left behind definitely are not!

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