• Life Advice

    D E P E N D E N T

    This article is reprinted with the permission of the author and a dear friend of mine, Hayley Decker. Enjoy!  I’ve always prided myself on being a self-sufficient and independent woman. I AM WOMAN – HEAR ME ROAR, you know? And though this mindset has in some ways gotten me through horribly difficult seasons, like a divorce when I felt that being “self sufficient” was a necessity, it also created a dangerous form of pride in me that has been a hard one to shake. Unfortunately, I don’t think that I’m alone amongst my fellow women. Let’s talk about being self-sufficient. We “can” do most things on our own, can’t we?…

  • Relationships Take Work

    It’s the Little Things

    I love my car – except for one thing. The warning alarm – namely the one that sounds when you don’t yet have your seat belt on – is the most shrill and annoying sound ev-er. Oh no. She doesn’t make a pleasing tone like other American cars. She’s a 2008 Crossfire, and while her body and interior were styled by Chrysler, the rest of the car is European. And unlike American engineers, the German ones are all business. They want us to really, really hear it. Take a quick listen. One morning, my hubby and I were leaving for work and he had backed my car out of the…

  • Relationship Advice

    Freezing at Five

    We were recently invited to a friend’s house for a picnic, and decided to go at the last minute. I hadn’t thought about what food I was going to take and I’m not known for keeping it simple. I decided on a dessert that needed ice cream. Sounds fine until I tell you that our friends live 30 miles away, and it was a 98 degree day. Not the best choice? True that. We drove our Challenger SRT, my husband’s pride and joy. I asked him to stop at a grocery store closer to our destination for the ice cream. Bobby assured me that he could make Hulkster (That’s the…

  • Date Night

    No Prep Date Night Ideas

    So. Date nights are really fun. And they really help relationships stay close. I love them. Buuuut. Are you tired sometimes? Yes, I am! Too busy to plan a date out? Yes! That’s me. Do you sometimes want to chill? Can I squeeze another yes in here? All the yeses! And, sometimes, you may not have the extra money. Or, what about if you have young kids? That makes it really hard. There is an easier way to have all the fun but avoid the other stuff. I have date night ideas for you! OK, I’m going to take a side trip. Bear with me. If you don’t know, my…