Search Results for: blog keeping up with the joneses

Keeping Up With The Joneses And Others With Common Surnames

If one of the biggest challenges in your genealogy research is keeping up with the Joneses in your family tree, do not despair. Common surnames do make research challenging because it can be hard to sift through all of the potential matches for an ancestor and determine with any degree of certainty whether you have found the correct person. There are ways that genealogists with Joneses, Smiths, and other very popular surnames in their family trees have been able to locate their ancestors amongst the crowds. Here are some tips for researching ancestors with common surnames. One way to help … Continue reading →

Don’t Hate the Joneses

Do you know the Joneses, or the Smiths or Insert Family Name here? They are that family or that couple that always seems so perfect. The one where the wife is always tan and polished, the husband is handsome and attentive and the children are always winning all of the awards in school or sports. But beware of the Joneses. They could just ruin your marriage, even if they aren’t aware of it themselves. Sometimes when we look at other couples, a little bit of envy starts to sneak in. We may wonder why it is that they are the … Continue reading →

Facial Reconstruction Could Identify Unknown Sailors

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Two skeletons of sailors were found on the USS Monitor when it was raised from the ocean floor. DNA testing has failed to produce a match with the sailors’ living descendants. Forensic facial reconstruction is now being done, in the hopes of identifying the unknown sailors, and perhaps finding their families. The USS Monitor was an ironclad ship that was used by the Union during the Civil War. The ship has been described as a “cheese box on a raft”. It was not designed to withstand sailing on rough water, and it was being towed by the USS Rhode Island … Continue reading →

How to Find Interesting Genealogy Reading Material Online

Whether you are new to genealogy or an expert, you may want to take some time once in a while to learn more about your hobby by reading some genealogy blogs. No, this is not a shameless attempt at self – promotion from a genealogy blogger. It is more of a reminder that there is just so much great information out there on genealogy blogs that any genealogist could find something interesting to read on any given day. One way to look for genealogy blogs to read is to simply do a Google search for “genealogy blogs”, or add some … Continue reading →

Money Traps for Parents

When we started preparing for our first foster placement, we were overwhelmed by the magnificence of everything baby. We did a lot of research and didn’t want to spend a fortune. I take that back; we did want to spend a fortune, but we couldn’t. It is hard to not try to keep with the Joneses in the baby arena. I won a Bugaboo Bee stroller and looked up the cost and it was over $500. I hadn’t considered a pricier stroller prior to winning one and now I want more. I know that the Graco stroller I used for … Continue reading →

Appreciate What You Have

Keeping up with the Joneses is something that contributes to a lot of people’s drowning in debt. Even though it is a violation of the Tenth Commandment, people still want the things that other people have. Appearances are everything. If someone else appears to have it all, others want it too. Unfortunately, we can only see what’s on the outside. We are not privy to what goes on in other people’s bedrooms or the state of the bills that arrive in other people’s mailboxes. I want success and wealth as much as the next person. Maybe not wealth so much … Continue reading →

Most popular surnames in the United States

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Having a popular surname has it’s disadvantages when it comes to genealogy. As you put together your family tree, it can become difficult to discern between someone who is your relative, and someone who is not your relative, but does have the same last name as you do. This can be especially difficult if you happen to have one of the most common surnames in the United States of America. What are those names? According to census data from 1990, the tenth most popular surname in the United States is Taylor. This last name comes from English origin. It means … Continue reading →

Start your search with a surname

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Your surname is important for many reasons. For the purpose of genealogy, your last name is a good way to link yourself to ancestors and other living relatives. It is possible to find relatives that you never knew existed simply by starting with a common surname. Sometimes, all you have to work with is a surname. You learn that a distant relative had a brother, but no one in your family can recall what his first name was, or anything else about him. It is not unheard of for people to go by nicknames, instead of their actual first name. … Continue reading →

The Home Owner’s New Year’s Resolutions

If you own a home (or even just rent one) you probably have some little things that you would like to get done this coming year. As owners of an older “needs some work” home, I can relate to anyone who might have a resolution or two that involves their home. Have you made any? If you needs some ideas, check out mine! I resolve to go greener. This year we have made some great strides toward going green, from turning the heat down low and wearing layers of clothing, to recycling, to shutting offer power to phantom appliances and … Continue reading →

Do Your Lifestyle Choices Affect Your Budget?

Have you considered how your lifestyle affects your finances? I am not referring just to eating out, spending money on new clothing every month or keeping up with the Joneses. I am talking about your lifestyle in regards to your health choices and the way you care for yourself and your family. Here are three specific areas that you may consider evaluating. Of course you ultimately will make the decisions about whether or not you feel that you need to change in these areas. 1) One area that really eats into the budget is smoking. The amount that you spend … Continue reading →