Knead A Little (or A Lot) Help? Call Crisco!

Big Brother's school is having their Fall Festival tomorrow night, so I've got to get baking today since I promised a few pies and cakes.

And then this little gem landed in my inbox:

Every year thousands of home chefs who “knead” a little help in the kitchen call the pie baking experts at the Crisco® Pie Hotline (1-877-FOR PIE TIPS) to take the mystery out of creating perfect pies every time.

What’s your most difficult pie dilemma? From troubleshooting with live pie experts to practical storage solutions and tips for cutting prep time, the Crisco Pie Hotline is a one-stop resource to help ease the stress of holiday baking. A live pie expert can be reached Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. ET year round and step-by-step instructions, visual demonstrations and award-winning hints and tricks are only one click away at www.crisco.com.

For bakers, who are seeking last minute, one-on-one advice during peak moments in the holiday season, the Crisco Pie Hotline will offer extended hours from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. ET from November 15-24 and December 13-23.

Get ready Crisco, you'll be hearing from me plenty today! :)

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What Does It Take To Become A Mom Blogger?

I can't help but to giggle sometimes when people ask, "What do you do?"  When I respond, "I'm a Mom blogger," I get some of the strangest looks.

After I explain exactly what a Mom (or sometimes referred to as "Review") blogger does, if the strange look disappears (it doesn't always) I get the question, "How did you get started in that?"

Which is secretly code for, "I want to do it too."

So here's my answer:  nothing special.

Start by picking you out a name.  The catchier the better.  Reserve a domain name (those .blogwhatever names just don't say you're very serious to potential advertisers), park yourself at a place offering budget hosting (just because it says "budget" doesn't mean low-rent, know what I mean?), and start posting.

You don't have to have perfect grammar, be the funniest or wittiest, or even be the most popular to be a Mom Blogger.  What you do have to have is dedication, stamina, and self-driven.  No, it doesn't require posting something every day but frequently enough to let potential advertisers know you're not just a fly-by-night blog.

Start out by reviewing products that you use around your home.  Talk about the funny conversations with your kids and your husband.  Post about projects you've got going on at home, in your community organizations, or at your children's school. 

And before you know it, you'll be getting emails on a regular basis asking you to "pitch" this product or that service to your readers - sometimes it's for free products, other times it'll involve cash.

Mom blogging can be a lot of fun.  A great way to meet other moms, vent your frustrations, and make a little extra money in the meantime.

Unlike some would have you believe, there's no big secret.  So go on, get started, then come back and let me know where I can find you!

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I Don't Wanna Grow Up

Somewhere around my thirtieth birthday I began to have an awakening.

And I'm not sure I'm completely okay with it.

Some of it's okay. Actually, many of things I've "grown up" about are things I really wish I'd learned a long time ago. Such as:

• Learning not to judge others until you've walked a mile in their shoes; you never know what you would do if it were your issue/crisis/situation.
  
  
• Realizing that it's not about what you have in your life but who.
  
  
• Grasping that I will be leaving a world behind to my children and grandchildren and that I need to be a little "greener."
  
  
• Learning that debt is a burden and it's time to unload it.

While I'm happy to have to have a firm grasp of those very important life lessons, unfortunately there are some not-so-good realizations. For example:

• While my own home and community may be at peace, much of the rest of the world is not. All it takes is just a minute to change the security we all enjoy.
  
  
• Understanding the financial state of America has left me fearful of the inflation of tomorrow.
  
  
• Bad things can happen to you. It won't always be someone else.
  
  
• You can't live in the moment; what you do today will affect you tomorrow.
  
  
• While I always knew that someday I would die, I have come to really understand that any day could be your last; you don't have to be old to die.

Sometimes I find myself roaming around, paralyzed by fear, worry and frustration. I would give anything to return to my late teens/early 20's - a time when my head was in the sand.

In my mid to late 20's, I remember being frustrated with young people over their unrealistic views about life, debt, politics and death.

Now I envy them.

How did that happen?

Oh that's right...I grew up.

*sigh* Why me?

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Dear Ann Landers (Aloha Friday)

It's Friday, and that means (if I lived in Hawaii), according to Kailani at An Island Life, it's time to take it easy and get ready for the weekend!

My topic for this week: I'll admit it. I'm an advice column fan. With each edition of our local newspaper, I make sure to read the advice column.

Ok, I'm more like an addict. But I can't help it. Some of the things people write in are...well, hilarious!

I guess writing to Ann Landers (or now her successor and only child, Margo Howard) or her twin sister "Dear Abby," can be just about as anonymous as one can get.

You can (still) mail your letter in, and a postmark may be the only indicator of where it's coming from - and with those little blue boxes on every corner from here to Timbuktu, even that's iffy.

So today I decided to it would be fun to play with the idea of writing in. And how about this? I'll give the question, YOU give the advice - play Ann Landers for a day!


My Question:

A friend has a son who is 19 and recently graduated high school. He was an straight A student, a member of the National Honor Society, and an active participant in the JROTC program. However, lately he has proven that grade point averages and program participation mean nothing when it comes to determining common sense. He is currently employed and still lives at home, but turns over his biweekly pay to a girlfriend - or what's left after he makes the car payment on the vehicle he purchased for her. All the while, he is without a vehicle and insists on his parents driving him to and from work - and bumming rides from others to other events. The girlfriend - term used loosely - is obviously using him as she is never available to take him to and from work or other places and always making excuses of why she can't see him.

Just watching this irresponsibility and abuse by the girlfriend and to his parents is driving me insane.

While I realize it's not really my business and I should stay out of it, what would be your advise to his parents if they had written this letter?

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