I’ve seen multiple articles circulating around Facebook about the importance of not making Christmas about material goods. I understand that sentiment. Many of these are centered around children, and trying to teach them to be thankful for what they have. However, I’ve also seen some discussions about gift giving between adults. I was recently talking to a friend who said that she only gives her boyfriend things he needs, such as socks or gloves, or tools for his job. She … Read the rest

I decided to work on trying to lose weight a little over a year ago. My boyfriend was ready to make a lifestyle change and I wanted to support him by joining in myself. He was on a specific plan (Nutrisystem) but it required that he purchase a few grocery items to supplement the food they sent him. I started looking around online to find low calorie swaps to make it easier to cut calories. I saw all kinds of … Read the rest

We all have at least one person who is really hard to shop for. I tend to mentally group hard-to-buy-for people into two groups. People who have everything, and people who don’t need anything.

People who have everything are usually people who have quite a bit of discretionary income. When there is something they want, they just buy it without thinking twice. This leaves them without a list of items that they want and don’t own. The other group would … Read the rest

On my other blog Emily Reviews, I run a lot of giveaways. As a result, I have some sweepers or sweepstakes addicts who enter my giveaways and occasionally email or private message me. They usually say things like “Thanks for posting giveaways so frequently!” or “I love your blog, you have GREAT giveaways!” etc.

I really enjoy hearing from my readers, whether it’s just a ‘thank you’ for a giveaway, or a deep, personal response to something else that I … Read the rest

I blog for a living. While most people are familiar with the term blog, they don’t realize that you can do it for a living. I also feel like there is a significant misconception about blogs. Many people think of blogs as online journals, or a place to write about your day and share photos of your kids. They see articles shared on Facebook by blogs like Scary Mommy, and maybe even share them themselves. They don’t quite connect the … Read the rest

I’ve gotten emails and comments about other aspects of hedgehog care in response to my two hedgehog blog posts – How To Care For A Pet hedgehog and Must-Have Products For Your Pet Hedgehog.

One question that I’ve gotten multiple times is how to tame or socialize a hedgehog that is scared or grumpy. I thought I would do a blog post on the question to help others who have this question.

When you have a hedgehog that is … Read the rest

I read a lot of information about getting a dog before I brought home my two pugs. I had expected to get a puppy, though. A lot of what I had read focused on getting a puppy, instead of adopting adult dogs. I read so many posts that warned about things like a “honeymoon period” that fades after a few days, and then a much more difficult period with problematic behavior. I had read about how some dogs don’t bond … Read the rest

This post has some TMI in it. It’s about gynecological exams (pap smears). Please discontinue reading if this subject bothers you.

I have a confession. I put off my first gynecological exam for a few years. I was told by one doctor at 18 that I should start having one, but I had heard from others that it’s okay to wait until 21. I asked about this and the doctor gave me the go-ahead to wait. However, I knew when … Read the rest