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Penny and Her Doll

What’s in a name? If you are my young daughter, not so much. In her world, playing the name game is a piece of cake because what you see is typically what you get. Case in point: Her stuffed dinosaur’s name is Dino; her fuzzy black lab = Blackie; her plastic fish-shaped bath toy, Fishy; and her life-sized plush monkey, you guessed it–Monks. Of course, not all kids are able to slap a moniker on a prized possession as quickly and easily as my kid does. In fact, for some children, the task of naming a beloved toy is serious … Continue reading →

Summer Reading Series: Penny and Her Song

You won’t be seeing my daughter on American Idol any time soon. Make that, ever. My 7-year-old possesses a litany of incredible talents; however, singing is not one of them. I know. I know. How dare I make such a stinging comment about my own flesh and blood. Calm down. It’s called reality. And it doesn’t mean that I don’t allow her to exercise her vocal chords. Nor does it mean that I cringe whenever she feels the urge to make like Miley Cyrus or the kids on Curious George. Rather, I am simply not a parent who is disillusioned … Continue reading →

Extreme Penny Pinching – Is It Possible To Go Too Far?

It is wise to be frugal, and in these tough economic times it is a survival skill that many of us are learning for the first time. While cultivating good financial sense is a good thing, it is possible to have too much of a good thing. Some people really take penny pinching to an extreme. I am not one to pass judgment on the habits of others, especially since some people are in dire circumstances and have to meet their basic needs in any way that they can. The following examples of extreme penny pinching are for informational purposes … Continue reading →

See A Penny

See a penny pick it up; all day long you’ll have good luck. I was very familiar with this adage before I heard Frenchie excitedly utter it when she found a penny on the floor of the LA River basin before Danny raced at Thunder Road. When my parents go out for their walks each day they delight in how much change they can find on the ground to bring home with them. They are very good at scouting out the hidden gems of pennies, nickels, and dimes. No one seems to drop quarters. I guess people still find a … Continue reading →

School Supplies for a Penny

Back to School shopping has officially started. All types of stores will be clamoring for your back to school dollars. Grocery stores and drug stores are getting their extra shipments of pencils, crayons, and paper. Most Wal-Marts have set up their extra aisles of back to school must haves. We, as parents, get all the fun of deciding who has the best deals. If you haven’t received your school supply list yet, don’t worry. This first sale has items that are sure to be on everyone’s list and it’s a great way to get started. Staples is starting its annual … Continue reading →

Penny Football

Summer travels often bring some unexpected down time. Penny football is a good game to fill up some moments. Since this is a casual lunchroom developed game, there are several versions of rules. All you need to play are three pennies, two players, and a table. A smallish table works best. You can still play on a large table, but you may want to state boundaries so that the coins don’t get to far off track. Flip one of the coins to see who goes first. The winner of the coin toss places the three coins in a triangular formation … Continue reading →

Penny Arcade Expo: PAX 2007 (Part II)

The Expo was very well thought out. There was a main exhibition hall that was one huge light and noise show. Companies did what they could in the space allotted, vying for the attention (and future dollars) of the gaming community. It was easy to tell the posers from the people who actually knew their market. GameTrailers.com thoughtfully set up carpeting with lush padding underneath for all the feet tired of concrete. They even had a couch in front of a big screen to play on. It was a very popular booth. Army.com was doing a brisk business, smartly setting … Continue reading →

Penny Arcade Expo: PAX 2007

I spent the weekend in heaven… geek heaven, that is. The boys, my husband, and I went to PAX 2007 in Seattle. The Penny Arcade Expo is a three-day game festival for video, desktop, and table gamers. It’s grown steadily in size since it debuted in 2004, doubling every year. This year it took up the Seattle Convention Center. Do you remember those geeks from high school that spent every free hour playing Dungeons & Dragons? They’re still around, still geeks, and still trying to become the Dungeon Master. Back when I was in high school, a lot of the … Continue reading →

A Penny a Minute

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My family had driven out of state to my folks’ place for the 4th of July, and something my father said in his living room took me back to the days of years gone by. . . (Picture a wavy transition to a flashback sequence here). In my parents’ family, (as well as the one that my wife and I made) the father ALWAYS drove the car. In fact, as a four year old, I clearly remember feeling sorry for dad because he had to stay awake by himself on long drives, late into the night, while everyone else in … Continue reading →

Save on a Mid-Summer Getaway

Forget about the fact that Wal-Mart and Target erected their school supply displays before the last firework exploded on the 4th of July.  Take a look at the calendar and you will see that there are more than six weeks of summer vacation left before most kids head back to class. For many families, that leaves plenty of time to get in another trip or two before the end of the season.  In fact, if you’ve waited this long to take flight on a summer vacation you stand to save a pretty penny.  According to travel insiders, late August is … Continue reading →