So many teenagers the country over have cell phones. Either they’re talking on them constantly or using text messaging to communicate with friends. While you want them to be able to stay in contact with friends, you probably also want them to stop spending so much time on their cell phones.

There are a number of good reasons why teens need to stop using their cell phones and it’s not merely because Mom and Dad tell them to. In fact, ongoing research concerning cell phone usage has proven how these phones can actually be hazardous to your health.

You may have heard the stories going around the internet that says using cell phones could result in brain damage. There isn’t any hard proof of this but there are some other studies that indicate spending too much time with a cell phone to your ear could disrupt a teenager’s sleep.

The report, conducted in Europe, state that over usage can result in causing teens to have problems falling asleep and often wake up during the night. Teens that don’t use their cell phones as much don’t have the same sleep problems. Apparently the problems are the same whether teens are talking on the phone or text messaging.

Another report conducted on teens links cell phones with anxiety. Many teens, especially the heavy users, leave their phone on all night long. They want to be available for their friends should they need to call. Unfortunately, they are causing themselves health problems. Experts recommend that teens leave the phone off for a good part of the day to help bring their sleep patterns back into line.

Costs for using the cell phone is another reason to stop the cell phone war you may be waging against your teen. Most teens want to customize their phones with a special ring tone. If your teen can change the ring tone on their phone, you may be surprised to find heavy charges for them when the bill comes in.

With the various reports indicating the potential dangers for teens that use cell phones in excess, you may want to change their plan so that they have limitations placed on them. You can authorize only certain telephone numbers. You may also want to place other restrictions on their usage.

Health experts agree that cell phones are alright for occasional use but teens spend way too much time on them. You want to know how to stop the cell phone wars? Explain to your teen the health issues and explain that there will be some changes and what those changes will be. Then stick to your plans regardless how much they fuss and fight.

Olives? In a facial scrub? Gross! Let’s put those olives to good use and make some pesto.   That is what I first thought when I saw this facial scrub.  I typically stick with tried and true facial scrubs like the long lived St. Ives Apricot Scrub.  Apparently my local pharmacy decided to start carrying the olive scrub.

I honestly thought that I would crack open the scrub to use it and be hit with a wall of pimento scented goo.  Not the case, this smelled fresh and felt no different than the apricot scrub, with the exception that it was definitely more moisturizing, which I appreciate.  My skin dries out easily in the Spring and Summer.

This scrub could very well change all that.  It goes a super long way as you only need a little bit to massage onto your whole face and then rinse.  I keep it right in the shower with me so it is part of my routine.  I don’t exfoliate every day even though this stuff is gentle enough to do so.  I use it approximately 3-5 times a week, especially if I have been liberal with my “spackle” (what my husband calls makeup – in any form – clearly showing his uninformed view of the topic).

I even used the olive scrub on my elbows and heels as a mini summer prep session when we had an 86 degree day last week…in April…in Michigan! Crazy.

So this one is definitely one to not only try, but to keep!

One of my wife’s friends and coworkers is getting married and we get to go to the wedding and reception. The best part of it is we are going without any of our kids. We are going to stay in a hotel and enjoy each other’s company for a night.

Originally we were not going to be able to go because it is hard to find a sitter for 5 kids. My mother in law volunteered to watch them so we could go to the wedding and we were happy. Shortly after that my wife’s grandparents volunteered to help watch them overnight so we could actually have a whole night to ourselves, then we were more than happy.

The wedding is about an hour from home and there is an open bar. I wanted to have a little fun this time too instead of just being the designated driver so we decided to get a hotel room close to the reception hall. This sounded way better than coming home afterwards to a house full of kid stuff reminding us of who we are. We never get to do anything alone so a hotel sounded like fun.

Normally I don’t like leaving my house and kids for too long but the days are becoming longer and longer and my house seems to be getting smaller and smaller. A night away sounded like a good idea and if the night goes well I may grant my wife’s wish and be a vampire for a night.

There has been a lot of concern lately about the swine flu and the effects on us in America. Personally I think it is just a distraction from the real issues we have going on right now. The truth is that this flu outbreak is not that severe, it is true that it passes quite easily between people but so do a lot of flu strains.

There are over 36,000 deaths in America due to the different strains of flu virus every year. This virus is not really any more severe than any of the other potentially lethal strain we get every single year in America. Most reports of deaths in Mexico from the virus are people that waited a few days to see the doctor and they have a less effective health care system as well.

The fact is that almost everyone in America that has got the Swine flu has recovered; the only reported death so far was a 23 month old baby. That is a horrible thing, but the elderly are recovering as well as young children. As long as you get yourself and family looked at when you feel sick you will most likely recover after a couple days of misery, no different than any other strain. It is sad when people die from such a preventable illness but the truth is that the flu virus adapts to preventative measures and gets stronger and more lethal every year, next year it will be the same flu with a different name still killing people.

I have always wanted a nice yard but we sold our last house right when it looked good. When we moved into this house I made it a goal to try again. That fall I put down a fertilizer to start out the next spring a step ahead instead of playing catch-up.

In the spring I started early by putting down weed preventers and more fertilizer. I noticed that I had a few moles in my back yard so I also put down Grub-X  and rolled with a heavy roller to get rid of the tunnel system. I really didn’t have many more problems with moles after that, but the yard never got any better.

The next spring I tried again and the yard started to pick up and look nice until they returned. The moles came back 10 times worse and nothing I used to get rid of them worked. I am beginning to think that they are impossible to kill. My yard is now getting bald spots and the rest is full of a tunnel system that the New York subway would be jealous of. I can’t win, I am so pissed off, I spent all that time and money only to get my butt kicked by a slow moving blind gerbil. Maybe my new ant infestation will evict them for me.

When I married my wife she would ask me why I don’t talk to my mother more. My mom lived in North Carolina so we didn’t see her often but I also never talked to her on the phone. This was weird for my wife who is so close to her family.

After much questioning from my wife I decided to start calling my mom and keep in touch with my family more, this made my wife happy. About a year after we were married she finally got to meet my mom and it went ok, she just thought my mom was weird. This continued to get worse thru the years until finally it got to the point where my wife understood why I didn’t talk to my mom much.

During this time my mom also left me subtle “hints” that she didn’t really care for my wife and was ok if I wanted to visit with her without Tracy. It finally hit a point where when my mom came to stay at my house to spend time with the grandkids and by the end of the visit they didn’t even pretend to get along. Since my mom moved back they have both been making an effort to get along but taking it slow.

We need to all get along so my kids can spend time with their grandparents and maybe see some of my family. My wife and I don’t have a lot of things in common with my mom, we cannot figure out how I came from her. If it came down to choosing my wife would win every time, she mothered my kids and puts up with me, my mom couldn’t. I just hope we don’t get to that point, my kids need to know I have a family too.

Touted as a “limited time only” fragrance – this is one I’d like Clinique to keep around.  It’s also supposedly geared towards the younger crowd (I don’t think I’m in that crowd anymore at the age of 32).

I was given a free sample by a coworker and really enjoyed the light flowery scent.  I normally dislike flower scents.  But this one is different.  It’s fresh and clean with a subtle hint of flower.

I picked up a used bottle from my local consignment shop (which is popular with college kids, go figure).  I don’t know why Clinique would label a product as geared towards a specific age group.

I’ve smelled many a perfume that was for “teens” and thought it smelled great and would wear it myself.  On the flip side, there are certain perfumes I associate with old women but on the right person (who is not old) would still smell great.

Don’t limit yourself people, branch out!  I’ve smelled every variation of Clinique’s “Happy” perfume and I have to say, these people don’t know how to make a bad perfume.  My mother wears the classic “Happy” and while it doesn’t smell good on me, it is great on her.  I prefer Happy Heart or now my newfounded Happy in Bloom.

Summer is coming – what’s not to be happy about?

My little brother is 31 years old; he still acts like he is 17 with no goal for the future. I want the best for him but he has no drive or ambition in life, just living day by day. I don’t think you could find a nicer person, he is honest, funny, and will do anything for you. It is the “for himself” he won’t help.

He has been at the same dead end job for 10 years making like $10 an hour. He has had all the same friends since high school, goes to the bar, does other “recreational” activities, and just hangs out with his friends. He lives in an apartment above a bar and drives a car worth about $500 (his best yet).

I have tried to help him by introducing him to my friends and showing him what a little hard work will get you. He just has no desire for anything more than he has, I would be happy if he just found a decent girlfriend which isn’t possible because he doesn’t meet any new people. I know he is an adult and lives his own life but I just don’t see him living it, more like sitting in it.