Search Results for: blog the word of the year

Why People Make New Year’s Resolutions

The custom of making a New Year’s resolution goes back farther than you might think! According to History.com, the ancient Babylonians are said to be the first people to make New Year’s resolutions, some 4,000 years ago. They were also the first to hold recorded celebrations in honor of the new year, which, for them, began in mid-March when the crops were planted. There was a 12-day festival known as Akitu, when the Babylonians crowned a new king or reaffirmed their loyalty to the reigning king. They also made promises to the gods to pay their debts and return any objects … Continue reading →

Be a Better Parent in the New Year

What’s your New Years Resolution? Many people choose something related to weight loss, or money, or productivity. This year, why not pick a resolution that will be much more meaningful? Resolve to take steps to be a better parent in the new year. Parenting can be as rewarding as it is difficult. It is easy to see why parents often make mistakes. Everyone does it – nobody is perfect! Ideally, people learn from those mistakes so they do not repeat them. What I’m trying to say is that parenting is a skill that can always be improved upon. It is … Continue reading →

The Worst Genealogy Blog of the Year

Many genealogists take time out of their research to work on their very own, personal, genealogy blog. While some of these blogs are entertaining, informative, and inspirational, others are a chore to try and read. Here are some tips to keep your blog from being deemed “the worst genealogy blog of the year”. Anyone can make a blog. There are several websites that will let you sign up and instantly start creating a blog about whatever topic you like for free. This is both good and bad. It allows every genealogist who desires to make a family history blog the … Continue reading →

New Year’s Eve Parties With Parental Controls

New Year’s Eve celebrations don’t have to include alcohol, loud music, revealing outfits and colorful language to be fun and exciting. If you are a parent, tomorrow night’s festivities will likely be G-rated, especially if you are partying with a young crew.  To ensure your last shindig of the year features good, clean fun, consider the following kid-friendly activities: New Year’s Word Scramble:  This game can be tailored for kids of varying ages.  All you need to do is come up with a list of words associated with New Year’s.  Possible choices include:  December, January, resolution, fireworks, balloons, noisemakers, confetti.  … Continue reading →

Paying for End-of-the-Year Travel

How has the current economy affected your holiday travel plans? According to the American Automobile Association (AAA), the 2012 Christmas travel season could be the busiest in six years.  However, thanks to an unstable financial future most Americans won’t be taking to the skies to get to grandma’s house this year; rather, they will be hitting the road.  AAA is predicting that 93.3 million Americans will hit the nation’s highways during the holidays. That’s 1.6 percent more than last year and just 400,000 people shy of the 2006 record, according to the auto club.  AAA says a record 84.4 million … Continue reading →

Divorce: A Bad Word

I will never forget when my children were younger and a neighbor child rang my doorbell to inform me that my son (who was about 7 years old at the time) had said a “bad” word.  “Really?” I responded.  “What did he say?” You could tell this kid was proud of himself, sure that after he told me, my son would be getting into some really big trouble.  Loudly he declared, “He said,” but then he barely whispered, “hell.”  I had to bend over to hear the word. Well as it turned out my son was apparently relaying a message … Continue reading →

The Word “Maybe” Drives Me Crazy

For some reason lately, Dylan has become enamored with the word “maybe”. If he asks me for something and I say “no”, he pleads with me and asks me to say “maybe” instead. I’m not sure where he got that idea from, as I have been very careful not to use “maybe” with him. At the very least, I have been careful not to use it incorrectly. Of course, many of you might wonder what the big deal is. What’s wrong with “maybe”? I think that I summed up my feelings on “maybe” the other day, albeit during not one … Continue reading →

A Year in Disney Fandom: D23 Events for 2013

Any D23 members wondering what will be on the official Disney Fan Club’s schedule for 2013 don’t need to wait any longer.  The official D23 website and the official Disney Parks blog have both posted announcements of the fan club’s 2013 events. The most exciting news to come out of D23 for 2013 is the announcement of a second year of Fanniversary.  The event, which is open to the public (but D23 members get first registration), is a must-attend celebration for any Disney fans.  It’s hours spent reveling in the best of Disney movies, history, park attractions, and more.  Special … Continue reading →

Turkey Prices Are Looking Good This Year

In the middle of constant bad news about food prices, there is one bright spot–relatively cheap prices on whole turkey. How are we enjoying this bounty? Well, grocery stores are determined to keep these prices low for a couple of reasons. They are hoping to lure in customer who might also buy more expensive trimmings and other groceries to round out their meal. The lower turkey prices will bring people in to the store. Many grocery stores were able to lock in their prices on turkeys before the drought caused grain and corn prices to go through the roof. So, … Continue reading →

Why Ann Coulter Shouldn’t Have Used the R-Word

Ann Coulter, infamous conservative pundit, decided to use the R-word in a tweet. She used it to refer to President Obama shortly after one of the Presidential debates. Her poor choice of phrase is angering parents of children who have intellectual disabilities. That is just one of the reasons why Ann Coulter shouldn’t have used the R-word. On October 12, 2012, Ann Coulter sent out a Tweet that has been getting her a lot of negative attention. The exact wording of the tweet was: “I highly approve of Romney’s decision to be kind and gentle to the retard.” This was … Continue reading →