Except Lego. Lego can go back to making “boring” grey stuff...like castles and Classic Space style spaceships. I’d be perfectly fine with that. :)

There’s something to be said for having some stable traditions. I Thanksgiving with my family I’m not related to. When I was hanging out with some of them a couple of weekends ago we had a 15 second conversation that confirmed the standard time, location and that I was bringing pie. It’s nice not to have to make extra…

Some companies also offer discounts to employees of certain companies. It’s definitely worth checking, particularly if you work for a larger company/giant corporation.

I think the distinctivness of name brand Cheez-itz comes from MSG. If you sprinkle a bit of MSG on generic cheese crackers, I find that you get a similar taste.

Have you tried the Walmart “Twist and Shout” generic Oreos? I’ve done blind taste tests with a few families and no one can tell the difference unless they happen to peek and see the different pattern on the cookie.

Texas. We’re all excited that the weather is finally comfortable to be outside during the daylight hours again!

I think a lot of it depends on the whole purpose for the vacation. If you’re going to see “all the cool stuff” and have the classic <insert destination here> experience, then including some of the more touristy locations and sites is a good idea. If you’re going to decompress and just get away from your regular life…

My parents ALWAYS “inspected” our candy very thoroughly. Fortunately Mom liked all the stuff we kids didn’t (black jelly beans...ewwww) and doesn’t like peanut butter. Dad pretty much just assumed that every Snickers was poisoned/tampered with and made sure that us young-uns were never in danger from those.

Many years ago I had a coworker in his mid-20s who got one of the very rare and unfun types of cancer. He was a tall guy, looked average-to-thin for his age and height. He lost a good bit of weight fairly quickly. He once commented that some people mentioned that he looked so skinny and so great. He half-jokingly…

It’s interesting that the everlasting escalator (stair machine) which is shown as the cover image isn’t included. I use those regularly. It’s not something I look forward to nor particularly enjoy, but it’s very effective at getting my heart rate up and has the added benefit of a good lower body workout. My biggest…

Also Texan. Especially the camping part. We’re *almost* getting to weather where it’s nice to go camping again. Camping in July and August is just miserable. June and September are iffy.

Today I learned that there are people who cut their English muffins with a knife. Really? That’s a thing? I’ve always used a fork or my fingers like my mom always does, like her mom always did...and, well, not like her mom did because complicated family backstory, but at least Nana got it right.

I watch tv shows while I workout (cardio, core and stretching). I pick a series and ONLY watch that show while working out. There have been days when the only reason I make it to the gym is because I want to finish and episode or find out what happens in the next one. It’s kinda like the camaraderie and accountability…

My issue with plastic bag bans is that I reuse plastic bags for things that reusable totes won’t work for. I use them for lining trash cans, for dealing with kitty litter, carrying things that are wet and/or messy. I found out how much I use them when I traveled a few places with plastic bag bans. It was incredibly…

Ummm...what’s left? According to this advice, you shouldn’t have any bills on autopay. The other option is to, ya know, keep an eye on your finances. Check your credit card bills each month and make sure you know what everything is and are okay with it. If you’re not good at keeping up with your recurring payments,…

And if you try running and find you really don’t like it. That’s okay! Not everyone has to be a “runner”. There are tons of different ways to get physical activity. And the best for you are the ones you’ll actually do.

I was trying to figure out how you would cook pancakes in the oven since my oven is already full of bacon. Also, I actually like making pancakes for a crowd. Yes, it takes a bit and requires some constant attention. But with a crowd it’s rare for everyone to want to sit down and eat at the same time (at least in my…

I’ve taken to packing my carry on bag with packing cubes filled with different categories of things, particularly thing that may cause the TSA scanners to trigger my bag for a secondary screening. That seems to help NOT trigger a secondary screening in 90% of all cases. When it does, it’s much faster and easier for…

One of the benefits of body weight work, particularly when it comes to moves which require balance and work the body asymmetrically (but you do both sides so you end up even...if that makes sense) is that you work a lot of the smaller stabilizing muscles core muscles more. To me, those are a huge help with movements…

As a redhead who can wake up with a nasty sunburn after dreaming about being in the sun, I agree that the easiest way to never get burned is never to go outside. If you do have to go outside, do it at night or in the early morning. If you can see the stars you’re probably okay.