MommaSaid's Linger

Did you know there’s a connection between what’s in your pantry and what’s on your thighs?  It’s true, so pay attention to this often overlooked part of the kitchen–not only to what’s there, but also to what’s not there–like high-quality canned chicken that can stave off a hunger attack in a hurry. More…

by Jane Louise Boursaw

Reel Rating: 4 out of 5 Reels
MPAA Rating: PG for rude humor, some language and mild thematic elements
Released in Theaters: August 20, 2010
Genre: Comedy, Family, Fantasy
Runtime: 109 minutes
Directed by: Susanna White
Cast:Emma Thompson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Asa Butterfield, Lil Woods, Oscar Steer, Maggie Smith, Rhys Ifans

Official Site: http://www.nannymcphee.co.uk/site.html  More…

by Meagan Francis

Last week, my niece, my four younger children (eldest is away at violin camp, where I hope he will either decide to dedicate himself to the instrument with renewed zest, or realize it’s not for him and save us the monthly rental fee) and I headed to the county fair.

I did the organized mommy thing and carefully planned the trip: rides first, then lunch, then animal exhibits, then commercial building.

I did the frugal mommy thing and packed PBJ sandwiches, fruit, a big bottle of water and some cups. More…

by Vanessa Van Petten

“Classmates I’d Like to Make Babies with”

 by Dara Chadwick

What does “self-acceptance” mean to you? 

It’s a term that gets thrown around quite a bit. When I hear it, I think of people who are generally okay with who and what they are.

But does self-acceptance mean that there isn’t room for self-improvement? More…

by Jane Louise Boursaw

Reel Rating: 3 out of 5 Reels
MPAA Rating: PG-13 on appeal for brief strong language, some sexual references and male rear nudity
Released in Theaters: August 13, 2010
Genre: Drama, Romance, Spirituality
Runtime: 133 minutes
Directed by: Ryan Murphy
Cast:Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem, James Franco, Billy Crudup, Richard Jenkins, Viola Davis, Hadi Subiyanto, Christine Hakim
Official Site: http://www.letyourselfgo.com/

SYNOPSIS: Julia Roberts plays the real-life Elizabeth Gilbert, a bestselling author who realizes she doesn’t want to be married anymore and embarks on a one-year journey of self-discovery to Italy, India and Indonesia. More…

Lately, I’ve become increasingly aware that I am not young anymore. It’s not just the obvious, cliche stuff like the chronic back pain, the chronic need for reading glasses, the chronic need for the word chronic, and the conviction that plastic surgery isn’t all that crazy. It’s other, subtler things that catch me off guard and force me to acknowledge my advancing age.

Such as: More…

by Leah Ingram

Frugality is here to stay.  According to a recent consumer survey conducted by Valpak, the company that sends out those blue envelopes filled with coupon offers, consumers expect their hard-earned money to stretch farther than ever before. More…

 by Kathy Sena

Fear Not. Your Dermatologist Has Some Helpful Tricks Up Her Sleeve

Ugh. Age spots seem to arrive at an earlier age than we might expect them. Mine make me feel like I’m looking at my grandmother’s hands, back when I was a little girl. Who ever thought I’d get some of my very own? Age spots are flat, light- or dark-brown marks that develop on the skin as we get older. More…

by Judy Gruen

Last night my husband came home, sweating the honest sweat of a man who had just torched at least 2,000 calories at the gym. “Great workout!” he announced, before I could even ask. “I rode 10 miles on the bicycle, did 125 push-ups, and lifted weights for 25 minutes. I feel like a new man.”

I found this unutterably depressing. While the man was toning his muscles to the consistency of marble, my exercise had consisted of hefting groceries into the house and trying to scrub down a bath-resistant beagle in the tub. I might have burned 87 calories, if I was lucky.

It’s been like this ever since my 40-something husband had an epiphany that would change both our lives: “Hey!” he announced. “I forgot to exercise in my 30s!” From that instant, he was determined to compensate for more than a decade of tepid exercise, involving haphazard jogging and changing air duct filters in the attic. Even our kids had grown too big to use as free weights. More…