Hug me pillow

Look what I found on Overstocks.com - it is $29.99 and it SOLD OUT! Am I the only one who is creeped out by this????

Confessions of a Shopoholic - the movie

I loved, loved, loved this movie. It was worth the wait. I got there 10 minutes early so I wouldn't miss anything. However, Amy, my oldest daughter, got there 15 minutes late - actually, she had gotten there 20 minutes early, so she shopped and lost track of time. So as we walked out of the movie, I looked over at her and her shopping bag and said, "I missed the first 15 minutes of Confessions of a Shopoholic because I was shopping." She started laughing and couldn't stop. The mascara was running down her face. She said that was the funniest thing I'd ever said....You had to be there.

Travel

We just got home from a family vacation in Hawaii. This isn’t really a photo of our luggage* – but this is the way it feels to travel with us. There are six adults and two children under three. Each person has at least one large bag and a small bag that gets checked, plus at least two sets of golf bags. So that’s at least 18 bags. We can’t all go to the airport together, even in the airport shuttle, because we have too many bags. When we get to our destination, it takes three or four cabs to get us to the hotel. But once we get to our destination, boy do we have fun.

*It is a photo of one of three “sculptures” in the Sacramento airport (probably constructed from lost luggage…come to think of it, maybe some of our luggage is in there after all).

.

HAWAII

Lincoln 2-1/2 years old

No blogs this week. I'll be in Hawaii with my kids and grandchildren until the 22nd. Aloha!

Pets

I’ve never been a “pet” person. When I was a child, the only animal I was exposed to

was a dog we were babysitting for friends (the poor thing was deaf and blind). When

Amy and Jennifer were old enough to want pets, our yard was too small for a dog so I let

them have hamsters (Kibbles & Bits). But we only had them a few months and gave

them away. Jennifer wanted pets because she had cool names for them. She wanted a

turtle named “fluffy,” and a fish named “bait.” She also wanted a hound dog named

“Elvis” and a small dog named “Pucci.” When we moved to Rancho Santa Fe we finally

got a dog (an orange golden retriever named "Tang"), and cats (Dolce and Gabbana).

We bought a house in Las Vegas and now I’ve got nine Koi fish (of course, I had to

name one of them “Bait”- the others are: The Red Baron, O.J., Goldilocks, Ginger, Ugly Betty,

Batman, Smokey, and Little Nemo) and there is a bronze alligator statue in the swimming pool,

so I call him “Fluffy.”

Left to right: Goldilocks, Ugly Betty, O.J. and the Red Baron

I don't see myself having any pets in the near future.

Who Loves You Baby?

Here's a Valentine's Day Quiz for you:

(You don’t have to answer these, just quickly go down the list)

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.


How did you do?
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish.
Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.


Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special!
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?

The lesson:

The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials. . the most money. . or the most awards. They simply are the ones who care the most.

Happy Valentine's Day!

Would you like to know what my husband gave me for Valentine's Day? He bought me a sexy nightie...in a size 6 (I wear a size 18!). I said, "What's up with the size 6? Is this supposed to be a joke?" To which he responded, "No, to me you ARE a size 6." (Gotta love that guy).

Suze Orman Says:

1. Get out of debt
2. Pay bills on time
3. Don't miss a payment
4. Don't go over credit limit
5. Have health and life insurance (term insurance)
6. Don't take money out of your retirement fund to pay your mortgage. If you can't pay your mortgage, let your house go and find an affordable apartment
7. Don't ever cosign a loan (especially for your children)
8. Don't lend money to friends or family (if you want to "give" it to them, okay. But no "loans".)

Really? This is new? Is there anything here we haven't heard before?

When asked if anybody has ever put their FICO score up on Match.com, her response was, "They should. FICO first, then sex. Because you want to practice safe money." (Now that's seriously funny.)

According to Suze, we're in for a long haul. She says not to expect a turn around until 2015.

What I want to know is, how does she know? Did she ask Miss Cleo? Has she got a crystal ball? or did she just say that because she was asked?

Fantasy Lives

Have you ever stopped to think about what other people's lives are like? The wonderful thing about the internet is that it gives us an opportunity to be a fly on the wall of other people's lives.

Picture home made apple pie and an All American girl living in the country. Ruth Ann is living it:

Here she is with her friends having a "pie party" (she's in the green apron). See her happy life at warmpiehappyhome.blogspot.com (I want to have a pie party!)

Can you imaging someone living a "vintage" life? Catiena is living it:

See her life at thevintagehousewife.blogspot.com (wait until you see the inside of that trailer!)

I wouldn't want to trade my life (permanently) with anyone. But it sure would be fun to live their life for a week or two.

For more fantasy lives, just look at their favorite bloggers - they are amazing!

Pet Peeve(s)

Why can't they give you the same amount of hot dog buns as the package of hot dogs? Am I the only one who is bothered by this? It drives me C R A Z Y !

As long as I'm ranting, I also hate bikers that ride side by side instead of single file (road hogs!).

And how about people who call themselves "environmentalists" then burn down a lumber yard in protest. News flash, that is NOT an environmentally friendly thing to do. (Kinda reminds me of the abortion protestors who kill the doctors who perform them. Oh heck, and why don't we throw in PETA while we're at it. Earth is the insane asylum of the universe.

What's YOUR pet peeve?

New Song

"If You Don't"

From time to time I'll replace this video with the newest one she sends me. (She sends me videos of new songs she writes before she demos them). This was added on 3/30/09

See her pics, hear and download her songs at: http://www.myspace.com/zuffinetti

Noah's Ark

Everything I need to know about life, I learned from Noah's Ark...

1. Don't miss the boat.
2. Remember that we are all in the same boat.
3. Plan ahead. It wasn't raining when Noah built the Ark.
4. Stay fit. When you're 600 years old, someone may ask you to do something really big.
5. Don't listen to critics; just get on with the job that needs to be done.
6. Build your future on high ground.
7. For safety's sake, travel in pairs.
8. Speed isn't always an advantage. The snails were on board with the cheetahs.
9. The woodpeckers inside are more dangerous than the storms that are outside.
10. When you're stressed, float a while.
11. Remember, the Ark was built by amateurs; the Titanic by professionals.
12. No matter how bad the storm, when you are with God, there's always a rainbow waiting.
Author Unknown

Happy Birthday Emerson!

Little Emmy is 1 year old today!

Tack this to your bathroom mirror:

You may not realize it, but it's 100% true:

1. There are at least two people in this world that you would die for.
2. At least 15 people in this world love you in some way.
3. The only reason anyone would ever hate you is because they want to be just like you.
4. A smile from you can bring happiness to anyone, even if they don't like you.
5. Every night, SOMEONE thinks about you before they go to sleep.
6. You mean the world to someone.
7. You are special and unique.
8. Someone that you don't even know exists loves you.
9. When you make the biggest mistake ever, something good comes from it.
10. When you think the world has turned its back on you, take another look.
11. Always remember the compliments you received. Forget about the rude remarks.

"Good friends are like stars.....
You don't always see them,
But you know they are always there"

- - old saying

Pithy Words

I just recently overheard the word “four flusher” used in a conversation and when I looked it up, I liked it a lot. I thought I’d share it with you.

“four flusher” = a person who makes false or pretentious claims, Empty boasts, or who continually lies. (originally referred to a person who would misrepresent that they had a flush - a poker hand comprised of five cards all of one suit (hearts, spades, clubs, or diamonds) - when they only had four cards of one suit.)

Unfortunately, I know a few four flushers – bet you do too.

Octuplets

Everyone keeps asking me what I think about Nadya Suleman, a single mom, and her decision to have more children after already having six.

I sympathize with her desire to have children and the seven years it took her to have her first child, because it took me seven years to have my first child and I know the anguish and frustration that is involved. HOWEVER, I think it is totally irresponsible for her to continue having children when there is no way to properly care for them. (As far as I’m concerned, the doctor who implanted the embryos should have his license taken away. Doctors take an oath to “do no harm.” Allowing a single mom who already has six children to be implanted with six more embryos is going against that oath.)

She thinks she had a dysfunctional childhood because she was an only child who “didn’t have much control of her environment and felt powerless.” What does she think her 14 children are going to say about their childhood?

Her friend says, “people are saying negative things and they don’t know her.”
What we do know is:

She’s a single mom (she separated from her husband in 2000 and had her first baby in 2001 – so all these children were planned knowing there would be no father for them)

She has a severe back injury which was the reason she and her husband separated. She didn’t want him to be burdened by her pain and depression (but it is okay to submit infants to it).

She has no way to support her children (she has not accepted welfare – so far. She says she is going back to school in the fall to complete her Master’s Degree so she can be a counselor. So, let’s see – who then will be caring for these 14 children that she wanted so desperately? If she works, she has to pay child care for 14 children…how much will that leave for them to live on? If she doesn’t work, who will support them?) Oh wait. I forgot about all the book deals, talk shows, advertising, and movie offers that are rolling in (it doesn't hurt that she looks like Angelina Jolie...maybe Angie will star in the movie, that will bring in some big bucks).

We'll be following the octuplets story until they are all married with children of their own.

All she cares about is what SHE wants. SHE wants a big, huge family. But we don’t (and shouldn’t) always get what we want. Sometimes what we want isn’t possible or isn’t right for someone else (like, for instance, the 14 children involved – all under the age of eight – with no father and no income to support them. How about what THEY want and deserve?)

That’s my opinion. What’s yours?

How to be mean to old guys:

The AARP eye chart

Getting Old Ain't for Sissies

I have the memory of a 98-year old. In fact, I once bought a "Mega Memory" book on tape….but I couldn't remember where I put it! (sounds like a bad joke, but an unfortunate true story)

I have the memory of a 98-year old. In fact, I once bought a "Mega Memory" book on tape….but I couldn't remember where I put it! (sounds like a bad joke, but an unfortunate true story)

Did I already tell you that?

(Sorry, I stole this from my daughter Jen's list of 25 things about her)

Valentine's Day Dessert

Love you Forever Cake

1 (18.25 ounce) package German Chocolate cake mix
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
6 ounces caramel ice cream topping
3 (1.4 ounce) bars chocolate covered toffee, chopped or Heath Bits
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed

Bake cake according to package directions for a 9x13 inch pan; cool on wire rack for 5 minutes. After cooled, make holes with wooden spoon along the top of the cake, making sure not to go through to the bottom. Pour can of sweetened condensed milk over the cake and give it a few minutes to work through the cake. Pour the caramel topping over the top of the cake, then sprinkle the crushed chocolate toffee bars liberally across the entire cake. Let cake cool completely, then top with whipped topping. Decorate the top of the cake with some more chocolate toffee bar bits. Serve. (Keep leftovers refrigerated).


Bake this for your sweetie and he's guaranteed to Love You Forever!

Red Velvet Cupcakes

I made these cupcakes (recipe from Paula Deen @ the Food Network) and won First Prize in a cupcake cook off. They're the perfect treat for Valentine's Day:



For the cupcakes:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cocoa powder
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 tablespoons red food coloring
1 teaspoon white distilled vinegar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract


For the Cream Cheese Frosting:

1 pound cream cheese, softened
2 sticks butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
Chopped pecans


For the cupcakes: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line 2 (12-cup) muffin pans with cupcake papers.

In a medium mixing bowl, sift together the flour, sugar, baking soda, salt, and cocoa powder. In a large bowl gently beat together the oil, buttermilk, eggs, food coloring, vinegar, and vanilla with a handheld electric mixer. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the wet and mix until smooth and thoroughly combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the cupcake tins about 2/3 filled. Bake in oven for about 20 to 22 minutes, turning the pans once, half way through. Test the cupcakes with a toothpick for doneness. Remove from oven and cool completely before frosting.

For the Cream Cheese Frosting: In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, butter and vanilla together until smooth. Add the sugar and on low speed, beat until incorporated. Increase the speed to high and mix until very light and fluffy. Ice cupcakes and garnish with chopped pecans.

Super Bowl Menu

Chili (Don’t forget condiments: sour cream, chopped onion, grated cheese, Ketchup)
Cornbread (with honey butter) or garlic bread
Buffalo Wings (make your own or get from your favorite restaurant – like Red Robin)
Ranch or Blue Cheese dip for wings
Celery sticks, carrot sticks
Dip and chips (onion dip and crinkle cut potato chips)
Salsa (or 7-layer bean dip pictured above) and tortilla chips
A bowl of mixed nuts and/or pretzels
(if women will be there, include a green salad)
Dessert: brownies, homemade chocolate chip cookies
Drinks, and lots of them

Have the snack foods on table(s) in front of guests and put the “real” food (and the dessert) on the dining room table.

I usually NEVER use paper plates and paper napkins – but I make an exception for Super Bowl parties (just make sure the plates are STURDY and wont flop with a pile of food on them – when in doubt, use plastic). Be sure to buy paper or plastic BOWLS for the chili. Don’t use plastic utensils. Use your everyday silverware.

Hint: If you didn’t make the chili in a crock pot, transfer it to one and keep it plugged in so the chili is always hot. The wings can be served at room temp.

Decorating: Men don’t care about the decorations – as long as you have good FOOD, they are happy.

Happy Birthday Jennifer!

The "crab cake"

Here she is celebrating with all her friends at the Waikoloa Hotel in Hawaii:


The trip was actually AFTER her B-Day. They went Feb 11 - 16th, then Alan and I joined them at the Hualalai from the 16th to the 21st.

What's for Dinner?

3-Ingredient Pot Roast

Put pot roast in a crock pot.
Sprinkle one package of Knorr’s onion (or Leek) soup mix over it.
Add 1 can of Campbell’s mushroom soup (undiluted)

Cook for six hours.

Serve it with Hungry Jack mashed potatoes and canned creamed corn. Add a slice of bread with butter on it and you’ve got a real meal. Couldn’t be easier.

Leftovers make a great sandwich the next day. Or, add some frozen mixed veggies and a can of stewed tomatoes for a nice beef and veggie stew or soup.

2-Ingredient Recipes

For 2-Ingredient recipes for Chocolate Fudge, Pumpkin Cake, and Macaroon Cookies,

. . . . Click Here !

Amy says she can beat me. She has a 1-ingredient snack - Cheetos! (But I trump that with...wait for it...Oreos!

First Lady - Fashionista?

Having a young family in the White House brings back memories of the Kennedy White House. Obama IS the new Kennedy - How about Michelle? Is she the new Jackie O? What do YOU think?

Michelle is a beautiful, intelligent, well-educated woman (graduated from Princeton University and Harvard Law School) who will be an excellent role model for the upcoming generation.

Angelina Jolie - Helping Others

"Angelina Jolie was made a Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations Refugee Agency (and donated $5 million to a wildlife sanctuary in Cambodia.) According to tax records, Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt donated more than $8 million to charity in 2006 alone."

Apparently no matter how skanky one acts on and off screen, goodness abounds in us all. Wait a minute. What is she doing? Signing autographs????

Aargh!

1919 poster

If you were around in 1919 and came upon the following poster.........



I mean seriously, Would you quit drinking?


(If you get email forwards like I do, you've probably seen this already - but if you haven't, it's tacky enough to be included in my blogs this year. )

Enjoy Your Hot Chocolate!

My mom sent me this in an E-mail and I liked the message so much I decided to share it with you:

“A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired.

During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives.

Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups — porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite. He then told them all to help themselves to the hot chocolate. When they each had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said:

"Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress."

"The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink."

"What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup... but you consciously went for the BEST cups."

"And then you began eyeing each other's cups."

"Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life."

"The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate."

The happiest people don't need the best of everything.

They just make the best of everything that they have.

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

…and enjoy your hot chocolate!!

Cutest Car Commercial Ever

Confessions of a Shopoholic

No, I'm not talking about the movie, I'm talking about MY life! I admit it. I LOVE to shop - for anybody, anywhere, anytime.

At 10:00 a.m. I stand at the door to the mall with my credit card in hand and say..."Let the games begin!"

When we decorated our new home, Alan (my husband) gave me an unlimited budget and I exceeded it the first month.

I wore out the magnetic strip on my Visa card in one year.

I lost my Visa card once and Alan refused to report it. He said whoever stole it spends less than I did.

I have a shopping buddy. She can find things for me I didn't even know existed. She thinks I'm thin. I think she's a natural blonde - we're best friends.

Another one of my friends bought me a personalized license plate. It said, 2DMALL

Anybody who says money can't buy happiness, doesn't know where to shop.

There is only one month of the year that I avoid shopping and that is December. I hate shopping in December with all the "amateurs." I'm a professional. I shop because I have to - it's my job!

I have two mottos: "When the going gets tough, the tough go shopping." and "If the shoe fits - buy it!"

p.s. Alan says when he dies he wants me to cremate him and scatter his ashes over Nordstrom's so I'll come visit him.

(Unfortunately, this dang recession has slowed me down considerably. When asked, "what's in YOUR wallet," more often than not I have to answer, "NOTHING!"

Poll of most annoying phrases of 2008:

10. "It's not rocket science"
9. "24/7"
8. "shouldn't of ”
7. "It's a nightmare"
6. "Absolutely"
5. "With all due respect"
4. "At this moment in time"
3. "I personally”
2. "Fairly unique"
1. "At the end of the day”

Words added to the dictionary this year:
Meh (I don’t care), Bahookie (butt), "crunk" (crazy drunk and/or crazy funk), "zombie"( a computer attached to the Internet that has been compromised by a hacker), and "Yogalates" (the new fitness craze which combines yoga and pilates)

The Ten Dumbest Quotes Ever!

Countdown: The ten dumbest quotes ever!

10. “I’m planning to be celibate…I just haven’t started yet.” - yes, Paris Hilton, we know.

9. “I get to go to a lot of overseas places, like Canada.” Britney Spears really is as dumb as she looks.

8. Dan Quayle my have topped her with: “It’s wonderful to be here in the state of Chicago.” (Since when did Chicago become a state?)

7. Of course, we should have expected this kind of statement after the comment he made while still in office as Vice President: “It isn’t pollution that’s harming the environment. It’s the impurities in our air and water that are doing it.”

6. “Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country.” – Marion Barry, Washington, D.C. Mayor

5. “So, where is the Cannes Film Festival being held this year?” – Hmmm, strangely enough Christina Aguilera, it’s held at Cannes. Hence the title!

4. When Shaquille O’Neal was asked if he went to the Parthenon when he went to Greece, he said: “I can’t really remember the names of all the clubs we went to.”

3. “Smoking kills. If you’re killed, you lose a very important part of your life.” Hmmm, you think? Sorry Brooke Shields. I was on your side with the whole Tom Cruise, antidepressant thing. But this is a seriously dumb quote.

2. Madonna: “I want to be like Gandhi, Martin Luther King, John Lennon, and Jesus - but I want to stay alive.” Good one.

And the number one dumbest quote? Wait for it…(I actually saw this live on TV – it was painful.) -- Lauren Upton, South Carolina contestant in the Miss Teen USA contest, when asked why one-fifth of Americans cannot find the U.S on a map.

1. “I personally believe that U.S. Americans are unable to do so because some people out there in our nation don't have maps and I believe that our education like such as in South Africa and Iraq and everywhere like such as and I believe that they should our education over here in the U.S. should help the U.S. or should help South Africa and should help Iraq and the Asian countries so we will be able to build up our future for us." Huh?

Is "Tacky" an inherited trait?

Apparently so. Here are my two daughters (left and right) out on the town with their friends.

You go girls! (by the way, why wasn't "I" invited??? You know how I love purple boas)

Eulogy

If you would like to really make a New Year's Resolution, read this eulogy and set goals to make your life a life worth living:




"Ready or not, some day it will all come to an end. There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days. All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else. Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed. Your grudges, resentments, frustrations and jealousies will finally disappear. So too, your hopes, ambitions, plans and to-do lists will expire. The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away. It won’t matter where you came from or from what side of the tracks you live on at the end. It won’t even matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant. So what will matter? How will the value of your days be measured? What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave. What will matter is not your success, but your significance. What will matter is both what you learned and what you taught. What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example. What will matter is not your competence, but your character. What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone. What will matter is both your memories as well as the memories that live in those who loved you. What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what. Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident. It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice." (paraphrased and edited from a talk by Michael Josephson).
.

Happy New Year!

Favorite Christmas Card of '08

Amy's best friend, Kory, had this posted on her blog. I wish I knew Travis Hoban.

"Travis is a stellar guy. Intelligent, good-looking, driven, and single. When he asked for addresses to send Christmas Cards out, I wondered 'why would a single guy send out Christmas cards?' Then I opened this:

Pretty dang funny.

(If this is too small for you to see - and you don't get it - Travis put his own face on everyone in the family)

New Year's Resolutions

Yep. I’m ready for the new year. To heck with dieting. I look great just the way I am.
(I never follow through with my resolutions anyway).
This photo is a tackier version of the one that’s been on my binder for the last five years – which is a photo of a kitten looking into a mirror and seeing a lion. Both fit right in with one of my favorite mottos: “You are what you think you are.”

If I had to pick one thing to work on for the year, it would be to eliminate shoulder pads from my wardrobe. I’m tired of my girls telling me I look like a “Dynasty” understudy.
I keep thinking that the “Dynasty” look is so old, it’s bound to come back again (If you are under 40, you probably don’t even know what “Dynasty” is). Mark my words, as soon as I throw out the old, I’ll be pressured into buying new, even bigger shoulder pads.

Seriously though, I do think it is a good thing to set goals, otherwise, you are just a rowboat setting out to sea with no oars. "If you don’t know where you are going, you might end up someplace else" (Yogi Berra said that – no, not Yogi Bear the cartoon character – Yogi Berra the baseball player). I also like what Lily Tomlin said, “I always wanted to be somebody, I just wish I’d been more specific.”

The truth is, if you actually write down a goal, and be specific, and write down what you have to do to achieve that goal (break it down into manageable tasks), you actually have a chance of achieving it.

Okay, just to show you that I’m not a total airhead, I’ll share my real “life” goals with you. They are all about fulfilling my obligations to the best of my ability in each of the various roles I have in life (I wrote these in 1970, shortly after I got married – I was obviously smarter then - and more accommodating ):

As a Woman:
To look as good as I can.
To develop my talents.
To be held in high regard by others.
As a Child of God:
To obey His Commandments and LIVE the principles of the Gospel in order to be worthy of returning to His presence.
To learn more about the Gospel.
To accept callings when extended.
As a Wife:
To look as good as I can.
To create an atmosphere that is pleasing for my husband to come home to.
To be the kind of person he looks forward to and WANTS to be around.
To be devoted, loyal, considerate, loving, faithful, and willing to serve him (did I just say “serve” him?) Heck yes.
To be the kind of person he is PROUD to present as his wife.
As a Mother:
To be a good example to my children.
To be able to raise children who are equipped to live happy successful lives.
To be able to be someone they can count on in crisis.
To BE THERE when they are young and to be there for them when they are grown.
To allow them to become who THEY are, not who I think they should be.
As a Friend:
To keep confidences.
To avoid being judgmental.
To be a good listener.
To be thoughtful and recognize a need without being asked to help.
To MAKE time to get together.
As a member of society:
Help those in need. Join and/or support service organizations
Don’t see “R” or “X” rated movies.
Don’t drink or do drugs.
Respect and obey the law.
Set a good example for others to follow.
Respect the right of others to have their own opinions and make their own choices in life.

So you see, I don’t need to come up with “resolutions” every year. I’ve got plenty to work on to keep me busy the rest of my life. (I probably should start thinking about my new role as an old fart, oops, I mean “Senior Citizen” - hmmm – any suggestions? )How about:
1. Get a hearing aid so I don’t have to keep saying, “eh? What did you say?”
2. Speed up or stay off the freeway.
3. When someone asks, “Hi, how are you?” Just say “fine thank you and you?”
instead of “Getting old isn’t for sissies – I actually fell and couldn’t get up.”
4. Find something else to talk about than my ills, wills, and pills.
5. Arrange for my own funeral so my kids don’t have to. (I’ve already written my eulogy, so I can check that off my list).

Emergency Preparedness

"Many more people could ride out the storm-tossed waves in their economic lives if they had their year's supply of food and were debt-free. Today we find that many have followed this counsel in reverse. They have at least a year's supply of debt and are food free."

President Thomas S. Monson