Some of my earliest childhood memories center around Asian food. But not just any Asian food. I’m talking about the

Want a simple, pain-free plan to increase your savings in 2020? CPA, author, and blogger Mike Piper says to save

Look up the word ‘impulsive’ in the dictionary and prepare to see my face. In my basement pantry, I have bags

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! And now our thoughts turn to a brand New Year! A clean, unspoiled

  Discouragement plagues all of us from time to time. If you’re discouraged about your situation—be it financial, family, job,

It was an unusual interview. The interviewer explained she was writing an article for a national women’s magazine on clever

It doesn’t have to be a full-blown dinner party to count as holiday entertaining. Why not ask your invited guests

LOYAL READERS  know by now that I love to cook. And I prefer to make things from scratch. But given

The busiest travel season on record began and will last through Jan. 5, An estimated 47.5 million passengers will fly

The eighteenth-century French philosopher Denis Diderot wrote an essay entitled “Regrets on Parting with My Old Dressing Gown.” It seems

Six days until Christmas. While you let that sink in, allow me to whisper one word in your ear: Re-gifting.

Shopping is my thing. I love the thrill of the hunt, that feeling of discovery and the joy of a bargain.

Over the years, I have learned an important lesson about getting the best deals on just about everything. Extreme bargain hunters

Short on cash this holiday season? Maybe it’s time to start thinking about gifts that don’t come from a store,

I must admit to a kind of love-hate relationship with bacon. On the one hand, my family loves bacon, which

You do not need a lot of money nor must you have the gift of craftiness to assemble fabulous gifts

Recently, I contacted teachers I know, asking them how they really feel about gifts from parents and students—at Christmas and

Sure they want toys, but underneath it all what kids really want for Christmas (adults, too) just might surprise you.

To some people, a cobbler is a lovely fruit dessert, best served warm. To others, it is a shoemaker who

Just about everyone who shops online knows to look for a discount, promotional code, or coupon of some kind before

The relatively short season for fresh cranberries (October through December) is now in full swing with bags of the ruby

Good news! Another Black Friday is in the books. You survived—unscathed I hope. If you bag some amazing bargains without

Happy Black Friday!

To be perfectly honest, I’m not completely sure where all the happy is in this day of out-of-control

Back by popular demand, Mary’s annual Thanksgiving message …  I love Thanksgiving so much it vies for first place in

If you have a wood-burning fireplace, it’s likely that now and then you toss things like cardboard, junk mail, and

Happy Sunday, Everybody!

Once again, it’s mailbag day, when I reach in and pull out your questions. While there are

I have no pride and, according to some, no taste. I love fruitcake. Sickeningly sweet, loaded with pecans, cherries, pineapple,

If there is one thing that will ruin your kids’ lives, it’s greed. Teach them while they’re young how to

I am nothing if not a gadget lover. Ingenious items that make my life easier are great, but when I

I just pulled a load of questions from my mailbag, which is really my email inbox, and while I don’t

Years ago, I read in The New York Times that according to Yankelovich Research, the average American adult is the