Oh Say Can You See

That’s me with glasses. That’s my daughter dying of embarrassment because I decided to wear said glasses in public. I bribed her to smile for the camera. Yes, I am that mom. The one who willingly mortifies her child in public by wearing specs her daughter views as “totally ugly” all in the name of safety.  Believe me; you don’t want to know what would happen if I were to drive without the lenses that help correct my 20/500 vision. Ironically, that same daughter, who so quickly denounces my looks when I opt to wear glasses instead of contacts, came … Continue reading

My Little Turkey

That’s my little turkey during her second Thanksgiving meal. Her first Turkey Day celebration is a blur. She was pull-your-hair-out colicky and too young for solids. However, I’m positive she got at least a hint of spice while she was nursing, given how much pumpkin pie I scarfed down that day… and the next day… and the next day. I love pumpkin pie. But not as much as I love my little turkey. Only, she’s not so little any more. Now, she’s a big turkey, and she’s got the mouth to prove it. When she was a little, she’d wobble … Continue reading

Can Caffeine Harm You?

I just put up a Green blog about natural energy drinks. My husband is an energy drink junkie, but I’ve never seen the appeal. Plus, if I have too much caffeine, my heart flutters and that’s no fun. But, can energy drinks be harmful to you? The Food and Drug Administration did an investigation into Monster energy drinks after five deaths were believed to be linked to them. The investigation comes on the heels of a lawsuit filed by the mother of a 14-year-old girl who died after drinking two Monster drinks within 24 hours. Her autopsy showed a caffeine … Continue reading

Don’t Cry in My Cheetos

Thousands of tweens and teens across the country are choking up when they dig into a bag of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, and it’s not because the spicy snack burns on the way down. Rather, some school districts are banning the crunchy corn puffs, claiming the cheesy treat is hazardous to kids’ health. The news has brought some students to tears, while others are flamin’ mad that school administrators would make such a bold move. According to CBS News, the Cheetos brouhaha started when a health teacher from Lyndon B. Johnson Middle School in Albuquerque, New Mexico, sent a note home … Continue reading

The Harmful “Him” vs. “Her”

I know that men and women think differently. My first impulse is to examine how much of that is natural and how much is a result of cultural conditioning, but that’s a study for another time, and really another blog. What I want to focus on today is the sort of “us” vs. “them” mentality that arises sometimes, and how that might affect marriages. I had to read “Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus” for a high school health class. I found it abhorrent, and said as much in my paper on the book. I understand as much … Continue reading

So Not My World

I barely have time to wash my hair in the morning, let alone shave my legs on a daily basis. So, how then is it possible for some moms to find time to post DIY tutorials featuring step-by-step instructions on how to create crocheted cozies for disposable Scotch Tape dispensers on YouTube? Pretty, little, intricately handcrafted covers for 99-cent tape dispensers that are designed to be THROWN AWAY. The tape dispensers that is. Clearly, you want to reuse the cuddly soft cozy you created to warm the cold plastic covering and disguise the unsightly green tartan plaid insert of any … Continue reading

Oh My Arm!

I lost my arm last week. My third arm. It was severed by the door to a third grade classroom. Who knew the first day of school would turn me into an amputee? My daughter and I shared an amazing summer together, but like all good things our season of fun has come to an end. Our blissfully relaxed summer days have been replaced by a stringent school schedule. Our carefree morning strolls succeeded by a stressful morning commute featuring a frustrating intersection with a left turn light that allows exactly 1 1/2 cars to inch forward before turning red. … Continue reading

Helpful Health Information From My Health Insurer

Today, in the mail, I got something unexpected from my health insurance company. It wasn’t a bill, and it wasn’t a scary letter about cancellation. Instead, it was a helpful little pamphlet with advice about dealing with asthma. Part of the Affordable Care Act includes something called the medical loss ratio. It requires health insurance companies to spend at least 80% of the money that they get from customer’s health insurance premiums on things that actually can improve a person’s health. The insurer cannot include things like salaries, advertising costs, or other administrative costs in that 80%. One of the … Continue reading

Insurance Blog Week in Review – June 24 – 30, 2012

Once a week, the Insurance Blog Week in Review brings you a fast way to “ketchup” on all the blogs that were posted here in the past seven days. There can be anywhere between twelve and fourteen blogs that appear. What did you miss? A Brief Comparison of Health Care Plans Obama’s plan includes coverage for adults and children who have a pre-existing condition. Romney’s plan includes coverage for people who have a pre-existing condition – but only if they have had continuous health insurance coverage. The Insurance Podcast Roundup went up on June 25, 2012. This week, I’d like … Continue reading

Insurance Blog Week in Review – June 10 – 16, 2012

Each week, the Insurance Blog Week in Review brings you a quick way to “ketchup” on all of the blogs that went up in the past seven days. There could be anywhere between twelve and fourteen blogs that appear here in a given week. What did you miss? Protest in Chicago Over Birth Control Mandate About 500 people attended a protest in Chicago to express their dissatisfaction about the federal requirement that employer sponsored health plans must cover birth control. Just One Ticket Can Raise Your Car Insurance Premiums Drive safe this Summer! You’d be surprised how much one traffic … Continue reading