When my husband travels for work I don’t worry he won’t come home. He’s an engineer, not a soldier. I know when he travels that I’ll be able to talk to him every day and see his face on the webcam if I want. Thousands of military wives and girlfriends (and husbands and boyfriends too) like Elizabeth Dubbell-Beck aren’t so lucky. But in some ways, they may be luckier. The challenges they face require skills we could all use.

If you are a mother you know that those who made you one usually haven’t a clue how to celebrate your big day. After the homemade cards and breakfast in bed, they may actually expect you to cook for them and make sure they have clean underwear ready for Monday morning. When it comes to Mother’s Day, it’s best to take matters into your own hands. First – Figure out just how you want to be celebrated this Mother’s Day.

Summer brings special challenges with childcare. It’s a good idea to brainstorm what your needs will be before you interview potential sitters or nannies.

  If you’re like me, it’s time to start watching those calories before bathing suit season gets into full gear. I like to count Weight Watchers points. Here are three easy breakfasts for only 4 points each!

Summer is a great time to learn something new. Check out your local community college or arts center to sign up for some stimulating classes this year. You’ll learn something new and meet new people. What better way to spend your summer? Consider one of the following:

Who needs all the hassle of making travel arrangements, planning what to wear, then packing it up and running off to some expensive locale. Vacation is a state of mind. Save money this summer by taking your vacation at home this year. There are a few tricks to getting that rested feeling from the comfort of your own back yard.

  Whenever I tell people that I pay my credit cards off each month, they think I’m nuts. They sneer at me through their Prada sunglasses, shake their $150 highlights, and shrug Juicy clad shoulders in dismissal. When they complain of rising interest rates I can’t relate. I haven’t paid interest on a credit card in years. To me, it’s just not worth it. When you pay your credit cards in full every month, your life gets a lot simpler.

The other day when another mom dropped off my son after a sports practice, we started chatting through her car window. She asked me what I was making for dinner and then said my shrimp stew sounded good – much better than the pellets she was having for her evening meal.  Huh? Then she shared one with me and I had to admit it wasn’t half bad. She chugged some water and explained that this was one of her ‘detox’ days. It was water and pellets only. The next day she would have shakes and soup. Delish.

You can’t really manage time.  Time is. All you can do is make choices about what action you take – or don’t take – in a given moment. Sometimes difficulty managing time is simple a matter of being over-committed. Maybe instead of a fancy new time management you need to learn to say NO! Take a Yes Sabbatical

These days it’s actually pretty difficult to get fired.  You might get ‘counseled’ or ‘re-assigned’, but good old-fashioned firing is hindered by a maze of legal ramifications.  However, there are still some things that will get you the boot.   · Arrive Late Work start times are more like guidelines than hard and fast rules.  Snooze on, then take care of your personal business before moseying in to work.  Take a long time getting coffee and settling in before you actually turn on your computer. · Drink

It’s pretty easy to get your co-workers to dislike you.  All it takes is a little creativity and a total lack of consideration for other people.  Use these methods to get started on the road to alienation. 1. Smelly - Make sure everyone can smell you – your food, your perfume, your bodily functions.  Just lay it all out there.  The stinky-er the better.

We’re all busy.  Even if you’re not that busy, you probably feel too busy to workout.  Funny though, we all seem to have time to watch all those tv shows on the DVR.  Here are my top tips to fitting exercise into your hectic day:

We all have bad habits – just ask your local politician. The good news is you can break your bad habits with a little effort and intention. The trick is, you have to want to break the bad habit. If you say you really want to quit smoking, but the truth is you really, really enjoy smoking – you don’t really want to break the habit do you?

Recently I labeled my sock drawer. My daughter laughed hysterically. “What? Are you going to forget they’re socks?” I know, it sounds sick, but there’s a method to my madness. What once was a jumble of knee-highs, athletic socks, and hose in various states of disrepair is now a tidy collection of wearable foot coverings. The lesser-worn items are in sequestered in Ziplock bags, and handily labeled. I will never again have to search for ‘those black tights I know are in there somewhere’.

Eek, it’s time for spring cleaning again!  In our modern world, we really could keep our homes spring-clean all year long. But we don’t. Something about springtime gets us into the cleaning mood. Here are the xx easy steps to get your home spic-and-span! Step One:  Start! Easier said than done right? I like to start with a new pair of rubber gloves – they make them super cute now – and a fresh pack of sponges. Take a trip to the Supercenter and stock up on whatever makes you feel fresh.

We often spend more time with the people we work with than we do with the members of our own families.  You’ll make a better choice if you consider the follow a few tips from the pros.

Who needs simplicity? Here are the top three ways to complicate your life: 1. Get married, preferably to someone you have little in common with, except that your personalities are so similar people swear you are siblings. If you are already married, or have found your true soul mate, you can complicate by adding an affair to your already full schedule. The thorniest extramarital affairs occur with someone you work with

In Gone With the Wind, Scarlett O’hara faces the many unpleasant circumstances presented by the American Civil War with one strategy. She chooses on many occasions ‘not to think about that right now.’ She reserves herself the right to think about whatever it is later, but not right now. That’s how she gathers the courage and fortitude to do what she must, including forsaking those she loves, loving those she doesn’t, and learning to survive her harsh conditions.

Are you in a rut?  Has your life gotten boring?  Here are some tips to get excited about life again.  Track your mood

With grocery prices rising daily it seems, many of us are looking for ways to cut back our spending. The easiest way I know is to build up your repertoire of recipes. In particular, learn how to cook cheaper cuts of meat. We’ve all become accustomed to skinless, boneless, trimmed cuts and we pay a premium for them.

I love to organize.  It doesn’t really bother me when things get messed up because it just means I get to organize them again.  However, I’ve come to a point where there are just too many fun things to do to waste any more time than I have to on getting my sh*t together.  After a lightening quick reading of David Allen’s, Getting Things Done (aka GTD), I am reformed.  How did I do it?  Read on.

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