This is the season when everyone does the Walk for a Cure, when we hear the word “cancer” way too many times every day! I realized that it bothers me to hear the word and I do all I can to not think about it. I am still angry I guess. While wondering if it will ever get better, a strange thought crossed my mind: As a woman, is it harder to lose your father or your husband? While I realize that it is not a common thought for a young woman, it is on my mind and heart and the losses bring different feelings inside of me.

My father passed away 7 years ago on a cold January day. He was diagnosed with cancer and passed away about 3 weeks after that diagnosis. I was miles away and removed from the everyday dealings with the ...

After a full month of spending only $ 100 / week or less on food for my family, the challenge was a personal success. I was able to stay within the budget and still eat good food. I did learn a few things along the way.

Work with cash going down

I started every week with $ 100 in cash. I had a wallet just for that, so when I walked into the store I only took the grocery money with me, no debit card, no extra cash. Going down from one hundred versus going up to one hundred was a huge difference. I could actually see how much money I had left and often items were put back on the shelf.

Portion sizes are smaller than you think

There were many times when I had a lot of leftover food. I would buy a whole bunch of broccoli ...