Holiday Memories
Get out the cocoa because it's about to get warm and fuzzy up in here, circa 1988!I have fond memories of going to pick out a Chrsitmas tree as a child. My parents, my two sisters and I would load up in our hatchback and head out to what seemed like the wilderness. Most people bought their Christmas trees from a vendor in the Kroger parking lot or went to a tree farm, but not us. Years later I would realize that we had actually been tree thieving trespassers on some strangers land, but what the hay. It was quality time together and that’s what mattered.One year in particular, we found the most perfect tree. It was just right in size and shape. My Dad cut it down an

The Gift of Laughter
Like what you've been reading on Loripalooza? Give someone you love, or kinda like, the gift of laughter this holiday season by directing them to Loripalooza.com. It's sure to put a smile on their face. Happy Holidays!www.Loripalooza.com

Take Me Out to the Ballgame
Luke (17 mos) inherited a pitching machine from our neighbors. You push a button and it spits out wiffle balls one after another. Luke isn’t really into it yet, but I am a wiffle ball rockstar. I’ve hit the ball onto the roof and over our fence several times, requiring a trip to Target to replenish our ball supply. Over the weekend, Brantley, Luke and I were playing ball in the backyard. Luke had the plastic bat and was swinging at the balls on the ground as if he were playing hockey. The following conversating ensued.Me: Strike three. He’s out. It’s my turn to hit.Brantley: Are you seriously not giving him

The Ambien Chronicles, Installment Two
Following the nude peanut butter debacle, I swore off Ambien…but it didn’t last. I eventually needed sleep and sleep wouldn’t come so I became smarter about it, only taking it AFTER I was in the bed. It was smooth sailing…for a while.By March my son, Luke, was 9 months old. He had just started getting up on all fours and rocking back and forth. Soon he’d be crawling. One morning he and I were in the laundry room. I was emptying the dryer and folding clothes while he played in the floor next to me. He began fidgeting with the ironing board that was against the wall. Afraid he would turn it over on himself, I picked it up and wedged it between the dryer and the wal

Shake Your Money Maker
There was a time when I wasn’t confined by the restrictions of a budget. When I was fresh out of nursing school, and both my husband and I were working full time, we had financial freedom. Our money was just that, our money. If I needed a pair of shoes I bought one. If we wanted beef tenderloin for dinner, we had it. Times were simple.A few years and one kid later, I decided to quit work and stay home while hubby solely brought home the bacon. What ensued shortly after was a monetary culture shock. I learned to deal with our new financial situation and rather than following a traditional budget, we adopted what we called the “rich week/poor week” system. It was a pretty si