My cooking style is generally of the “season as preferred” variety. This means salt, pepper and maybe some spice blends are available when food is served. Part of the reason is my families love of and my aversion of spicy foods. While I love sour and salty. As the primary cook, rather than season everything […] More
If there’s one thing all parents and teachers have in common, it’s that they never want children to feel left out or excluded. With this in mind, teachers often go to great lengths to ensure that their students get to know every member of their class as well as possible, while parents also go to […] More
My Mother never enjoyed cooking, so she never really did it. By the time I was seven, I was doing a significant amount of cooking. By age nine, I was doing all of it for my Mother and two Sisters. This included big holiday meals with extended family. I enjoyed it and did it for […] More
Many families look forward to the holidays when they can reunite and get together. One element of spending the holidays with family that not everyone looks forward to, however, is hosting. That places the burden of making sure everyone has food and shelter for the duration of their stay on one person. Luckily, some people […] More
Finding the right beach and pool attire can be a very complicated and stressful issue. Some people search for finding swimwear that covers up as much skin as possible, while others happily wear bikinis and speedos without a second thought. Of course, while these uninhibited individuals have no problem showing off their bodies, not everyone […] More
I have to confess, I’m the sort of person who’s quite happy not knowing my neighbors. I’m quite introverted and autistic, so minding my own business is my cup of tea. But there are some neighbors who want to know everyone. They’ll approach whenever they catch you outside or *gasp* knock on your door just […] More
We always want to be there for our friends when they need our help. Most of the time, we don’t have a second thought about saying yes when a friend asks for help or assistance, on the understanding that they will likewise be there for us. Of course, when one friend constantly asks another for […] More
Having a wedding venue cancel on you 45 days before the ceremony leads to scrambling to find a new location and notify all the guests and vendors. When the venue that cancels belongs to a family member, hurt feelings also become part of the equation. The urge to lash out may be strong. A sibling […] More
Sibling rivalries can either be discouraged or enabled by parents. There are healthy rivalries in life—around inherently competitive activities like sports. But siblings constantly pitted against each other is toxic. There’s always a winner and a loser. A self-described black sheep in a rivalry with the golden child turned to the “Am I The A**hole” […] More
Some people love dogs. Some do not. Many who have dogs treat them as part of the family. Other’s don’t get it. But where does one draw the line when it comes to deciding between excluding their pets or excluding their friends? Or should anyone have to choose? A woman on Reddit turned to the […] More
