The Suburban Jungle

Earlier this summer, I was out and about with my kids when I noticed a garage sale sign. Always lured by the "treasure hunt" I followed the sign.

I looked around the driveway for a few moments before I noticed a woman speaking with the homeowner. She was recanting her woes.

Oh, how she suffered. She was so stressed out running her kids around, just trying to keep up with it all. Her life was so miserable.

She went on and on. Then she got to the meat of her feelings. She said, "You know the worst of it?"

"I have a neighbor that's paralyzed. He had a neck injury from high school wrestling and he's been paralyzed from the neck down every since. He is so happy. He's glad to be alive every day."

The homeowner made a few comments about how hard it must be for him and thank goodness he had such a positive attitude. Then the lady continued, "yeah, he's really full of joy. Lucky bastard. I mean how come he gets all the good while I'm stuc…

If you are an active woman, then you will eventually run into the trouble of how to wear active wear but somehow keep track of your phone/keys/money etc.

I've worn the fit belts, holsters, pockets in my tops, even fanny packs. All have their purpose, but none perform as well as having an inner pocket in your workout pants.

I just bought these Sport-it shorts (disclosure: I also bought the pants and capris a while back!) and love them. I love, love, loved the capris and pants. They are so comfortable and do an amazing job keeping my phone and car key safe! I wear them when I work out but I also wear them as a base layer in the winter.

I don't like to carry a purse so having these under my jeans in the winter keeps me warm and holds my stuff!

The shorts are just as good! I wear them under skirts all the time - as modesty shorts. That way if a wind or wild child pulls up (or down!) my skirt, I have coverage. I can also run, climb, sit, and exist without worry. I have a layer unde…

Fall is upon us! I have been enjoying wearing layers again! I've also enjoyed mixing it up with fun accessories. This is a really fun necklace that I was able to give to my daughter. She loved  the phrase and the piece is very unique.

Handmade necklaces are the best because nobody has the same one!! And she loves to showcase her differences.

Speaking of differences.... if you have a cat, then you know how picky they can be! My cat used to love a certain brand of wet cat food. Then one day, I saw it on clearance. I bought cases of it for a third of the usual price. I thought I was so smart. But as soon as I got the food home and stored in the cabinet, she decided she would no longer eat that brand. I have tried for the last 2 years to get her to eat it and it is now expired.

Such is the way whenever I buy her something. I have purchased numerous cat toys that have been given away because she just won't play with them. But a ball of scrap paper? She'll go to town. An amazon b…

Sometimes the smallest changes make the biggest impact! One of the best things we did was change out the lighting in our house to LED. I hate - no HATE  - CFL bulbs. The sickly glow, the toxic mercury, everything.

The first bulbs we swapped were our outdoor landscape lighting. The electricity used was cut in half but the brightness was doubled. It was an amazing and wonderful swap. Then we started swapping around the house. Luckily, the cost has gone down and the size availability has increased. We used these 60 watt equivalent bulbs.

They were fantastic! They are nice and bright and use just a fraction of the electricity. And they are not toxic to dispose of when they wear out years down the road. The only downside to these bulbs was the fact that they are not dimmable so I couldn't use them in my highest use areas - since we like to dim the lights in those places. The cost is comparable to the yucky CFLs but again - without all the yuck.

While it's still nice out, make sure…

At least once a month, I go through an area of my home and clear out the clutter. Then I call up the Salvation Army and they come and take away my excess.

Why do I have excess? Because people give me things, I like to try out new products, and I'm still learning. Sometimes I think something is going to make a difference but it just ends up wasting space. Or my tastes change.

As I was going through my kitchen, I was shocked at how some of the smallest things have revolutionized my kitchen. Small changes in our tools have changed the way we eat....for the better.

The number one thing that has rocketed my cooking to a higher level is the Pressure Cooker XL.

Now, if you've ever channel surfed then you have probably seen this puppy on an infomercial. That's where I first saw it too. And I was glued to the screen. They made all kinds of great stuff...in minutes. So I asked for it for my birthday. And I have used it at least once a week ever since. I use it EVERY single week.

I u…