I thought I was in Bloomingdale’s, not a cannabis dispensary — I don’t usually fall for marketing tactics. At least, I don’t think I do. I’d like to believe I am more self-aware to know when someone is trying to trick my brain into thinking I need something. Although, it could just be that I am cheap. Well, I fell for…

The cat’s out of the bag — Harley’s pupils darted back and forth. It was almost like her brain was vibrating. She stared out the window, but I could tell she wasn’t really looking at anything. It was like when someone stares off into space, lost in a daydream. I tried to snap her out of it…

The clock is ticking louder every day. — A few years ago, I asked my parents if they thought I would make a good mother. My mom said, “Sometimes.” My dad was a little more forgiving and casually said, “yeah,” in a less than convincing way. Not exactly raving recommendations. I can’t decide if I want kids. You may be thinking that Mother Nature has…

They’re family too — When my cat died a month ago, I was totally devastated — and still am. He was essentially my child. When I would pick him up, he would literally grab on to me just like a toddler would, sucking on my shoulder and leaving a huge drool mark. …

Why is a religious belief different than any other belief? — Let me start by saying this article is not a pro-vaccine or anti-vaccine rant. There are plenty of those to go around. And I consider myself to be somewhere in the middle. I understand the stance of “anti-vaxxers,” even though I hate that term because everyone who doesn’t want this…

Maybe it’s time to take the focus off of consumerism this holiday season — “Is there anything people can do?” The seriousness in which George Stephanopoulos posed this question made me chuckle. I mean, seriously? What are people going to do? This isn’t exactly life or death. I even wondered if George was thinking to himself, how ridiculous. One day he is interviewing the…

And that’s enough for only one day — My friend just told me he would be staying on the twelfth floor of a cruise ship. The twelfth floor?! That might not come as a surprise to you, but I have never been on a cruise ship before. I have never seen one up close or in-person unless it’s…

4 practical things you can start doing today to eliminate debt — With the click of a few buttons, I paid off the remaining $938 on my home equity line of credit. It’s official — I am debt-free except for my house, which has a mortgage of less than $50,000. It is an amazing feeling. Finally, after years of living under credit…

We have been bamboozled into consuming more than we need — Marketers are sneaky. And we are easily fooled. There are some things we have adopted in society that we don’t even question. But, in reality, they were the results of clever marketing developed decades ago. Myth #1 — You must change your car’s oil every 3,000 miles Sure, you can do this if you want to make the oil industry even richer…