I grew up in one house before moving through two dorms, one sorority house, seven apartments and two houses. I know someday my parents will move or move on, and I'll be forced to help with the downsizing efforts. I'm not looking forward to it, mostly because you can accumulate quite a bit of junk in 35 years, but also because I remember the bittersweet memories that flooded me the last time I walked through my grandparents' house after they died. I can't decide if it would be harder to help my parents move while they were living or after they'd died. They might protest less if it happened later.

I have four children, which has been a lot of birthday parties to throw (and attend) over the last several years.  In the interest of keeping a reasonable budget, not to mention my sanity, I've had to come up with my own set of time-and-money-saving tips over the years.

Budgeting, saving, and managing your money are high on everyone's list of priorities right now. There are many online tools and resources that will help you track and manage your money, even help you save. I'll review four of these sites.

What would you do if you knew you would fail? Many of you might have just read that and mentally added in a word and given my question an entirely different meaning. The well-worn aphorism is "What would you do if you knew you could not fail?" Instead I am asking what you would do if you knew that you would fail, if you knew that your road map to success was a road to nowhere, if you knew that your dreams would not come true? What then?

In 2004 I decided to cut my hair. And it wasn't like 'Oh, how about a trim' it was like, 'Oh, how about I lop it all off and go natural'. It wasn't a big deal or a life changing moment, it was just that one day I scheduled my life around hair appointments and the next day I was free to do whatever I pleased, whenever I please and hot damn! It felt good.

How much soda does your child drink? What about water? For many kids, drinking water is about as common as a vegetable platter for an after school snack. It's just not happening. So...Is an easy remedy for overweight kids water? A recent study suggests that it might be... Want to help your kids keep the weight off? Just give them water instead of soda and other sugar-sweetened drinks, researchers advised on Monday.

Now that the First Lady has announced the creation of an organic vegetable garden on the White House lawn, I’m feeling empowered.  Like maybe it was my BlogHer post on the subject that may have tipped the scale in our favor.  So now I’m wondering what else we can revive, preferably a well-established idea onto which I can just piggyback at the last minute.  I know.  Bartering!

Most of us are either experiencing the effects of the current recession or know others who are. It raises the question: Do you need a financial planner?

Sure, Bald Eagles look sharp on currency but if there is one true symbol of American grit and spirit, it is the horse. And, come to think of it, when is the last time you bonded with an eagle? Americans love our horses so much that we now face a terrible reality: We have too many - way more than we can handle, and the wounded economy has raised the issue from troubling to urgent.

A new study finds that women are increasingly stressed over money and the economy.  I can't say this comes as much of a surprise to me. You only have to tune into the national news for a few minutes to understand the gravity of our failing economy. 

Last month I introduced the idea that 2009 would be the year of The Stash Busting Challenge. One idea or challenge each month throughout 2009 to get our work spaces and our wallets under control.